The Miami Heat (-124) will host the Chicago Bulls (+104) in an Eastern Conference matchup. Miami is currently 8th in the East while Chicago is 9th. The Heat are favored by 1.5 points and have won two straight games.

This game will tip-off at 7:00 ET and will be played at the Kaseya Center in Miami. ESPN will have the TV coverage.

CHICAGO BULLS VS MIAMI HEAT BETTING PICK

The Pick: Chicago Bulls +1.5

This game will be played at Kaseya Center at 7:00 ET on Friday, April 19th.

WHY BET THE CHICAGO BULLS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 115-114 in favor of the Bulls.
  • Our projections have DeMar DeRozan finishing with DeMar DeRozan points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists.
  • From the field, we have the Bulls finishing with a field goal percentage of 47.8% and knocking down 12 threes.

Will Chicago Find a Way to Win on the Road?

Today, the Bulls are 39-43 on the season and are currently in 9th place in the Eastern Conference. In their division, they are in 4th place.

Chicago has an ATS record of 41-40 this season and have covered the spread in their last three games. On the road, they are 22-18 ATS compared to 19-22 at home.

As the underdog, the Bulls are 19-30 straight up and 26-23 ATS. On average, they have been outscored by 4.4 points per game when going in as the underdog.

In their most recent game, the Bulls lost to the Knicks by a score of 120-119. They were 13.5-point underdogs going into the game. The O/U line for that game was 218.5.

Chicago’s O/U record for the season is 44-37-1, and the over has hit in their last four games. On average, their games have finished with 226 points.

In non-conference games, the Bulls have gone 17-14 compared to 22-29 against the Eastern Conference. Today, they are 1.5-point underdogs against the Heat.

Chicago comes into the game as the 22nd ranked scoring offense, at 112.3 points per contest. Their scoring average is slightly better on the road, at 113 points per game, compared to 111.5 at home. Looking at their pace, the Bulls are 21st in the league, averaging 97 possessions per game.

DeMar DeRozan has been carrying the Bulls offense of late, averaging 33.2 points per game over his last four games. In these games, he hit 55.6% of his shots from the field and 1.8 threes per game. For the season, he is averaging 24 points and 5.3 assists. Coby White is averaging 19.1 points per game and 19.8 over his last five games.

In terms of defense, Bulls is currently on par with the NBA average for points allowed, giving up an average of 113.7 points per game. Opponents are hitting 56.0% of their two-point field goal attempts this season, and they’re also connecting on 36.9% of their three-point attempts.

Will the Heat Live Up to Expectations at Home?

Miami has won their last two games at home and are favored by 1.5 points today. Their ATS record at home is 16-25 and 23-22 as the favorite. Overall, they are 40-39 ATS and 35-13 as the favorite.

In the Eastern Conference standings, the Heat are currently in 8th place with a record of 46-36. Within the Southeast Division, they are in 2nd place.

The Heat’s O/U record for the season is 35-47, and the over has hit in their last two games. Today’s line of 205.5 is lower than their season average of 218.5 points per game.

In their most recent game, the Heat defeated the Raptors by a score of 118-103. Miami was favored by 16.5 points in that game, and the O/U line was 218.5.

Against Eastern Conference teams, the Heat have gone 32-20 compared to 14-16 in non-conference games. On the road, Miami is 24-17 compared to 22-19 at home.

Coming into the game, the Heat are 26th in scoring, at 110.1 points per game. Their production at home is slightly better, at 112.1 points per contest. Miami’s pace of 95.8 possessions per game is the second-lowest rate in the NBA. The Heat are averaging 12.5 made threes per game, which is 19th in the league. Their three-point shooting percentage of 37% is 13th in the NBA.

Jimmy Butler is averaging 18.6 points per game over his last five games while shooting 55.6% from the field. He also averaged 6.2 assists in those games. Tyler Herro has averaged 21.8 points per game in his last five, hitting 46.6% of his shots from the field. In this stretch, he averaged 2.8 made threes per game.

So far this season, the Heat defense has been performing well, ranking 3rd in the NBA at 108.4 points allowed per contest. Opponents are hitting 55.3% of their two-point field goal attempts this season, and they’re also connecting on 35.4% of their three-point attempts.