The Bulls and Heat will square off for the eighth and final seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture on Friday, April 19, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Heat are coming off a nail-biting, one-point loss to the Sixers Wednesday, while the Bulls completed a dominating 131-116 thrashing of the Atlanta Hawks.
The two split their season series 2-2, and all but one game hit the OVER. Miami won the last game 118-116 back in December. Thanks to all four of their games being back-to-back contests in the earlier part of the season, neither have faced each other with their current rosters.
Both are suffering key losses but have found a way to overcome and stay in the playoff chase. The winner gets Boston in the first round. Neither team has had much success against the Celtics in the regular season, but the Heat eliminated Boston in the playoffs last year as the underdog.
So, fans and players in Boston are certainly paying attention to this matchup. If you’re looking for betting insight, check below for the live odds and additional betting information, including player props.
Bulls vs. Heat odds: Point spread, moneyline, and total
Here are the latest NBA betting odds for tonight’s game at the best US sports betting sites:
Chicago Bulls betting news and analysis
Heading into their game with the Hawks, the health of starting shooting guard Ayo Dosunmu and backup center Andre Drummond was in question. Fortunately for Chicago, both were able to play and make an impact. The Bulls’ starters each shot over 50% from the field and scored in double digits, except for Alex Caruso, who finished with just six points.
Dosunmu chipped in 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the field and 3-for-4 from deep. His impact was felt beyond the stat sheet as well. His sharp shooting made it challenging for the Hawks to double his teammates, which led to a career night for his back court mate Coby White. White finished the game with a career high of 42 points on 15-for-21 shooting overall and 3-for-7 from deep.
It was a great performance from the Bulls, who will look to ride the momentum against Miami, who is coming off a stellar showing, despite their loss.
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Miami Heat betting news and analysis
The Heat held the high-powered Sixers to just 105 points in their first game. The problem was that they only scored 104. Offense was the fear heading into the matchup thanks to the absence of Terry Rozier, who is the third-leading scorer on the team, putting up 19.8 per game. Without his production, their offense struggled mightily at times, which allowed the Sixers to hang around until they figured out their offensive woes from a concerning first half.
The Hawks are one of the worst defensive teams in the league but given how well the Bulls performed against them offensively, the Heat are going to have their hands full keeping pace if their first game is an indicator of what’s to come. Bam Adebayo only scored 10 points against the Sixers. Without his normal 19 points per game, the Heat’s chances against anyone dips significantly with Rozier out.
Although the Bulls don’t have Embiid manning the paint, they are still elite defending the area, which could lead to another pedestrian night for Adebayo. Chicago has the best defense in the league when it comes to points in the paint allowed, only surrendering 45.3 points per game. That’s going to be key in this matchup and something to keep your eye out for as a sports bettor.
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Bulls vs. Heat game props at BetMGM Sportsbook
Both teams have similar DNA – scrappy underdogs, who always give Goliath a run for his money. That’s why fans can expect a hard-nosed, tough-fought battle. Every point will come at a premium in this one, which sets up the player prop market for this game to be an exciting one.
Props are not yet available, but keep checking this space to see our picks when available.
Bulls vs. Heat prediction ATS
The Bulls have three bonafide scorers in their starting lineup, which gives them a slight edge despite being the underdogs. Two of Miami’s best scorers – Jimmy Butler and Adebayo – do most of their damage attacking the rim. No one is better at defending the area than the Bulls. Look for a close one that Chicago pulls out thanks to the absence of Rozier.
Prediction: Bulls
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