The Eastern conference Finals tips off tonight in Chicago as the Bulls play host to the Miami Heat in Game 1.
The Bulls were 3-0 versus the Heat this season and they posted a 87-86 upset win as a 5.5-point road underdog the last time they met up on March 6. Derrick Rose led Chicago with 27 points in the win, while LeBron James netted 26 points for Miami.
View Miami vs Chicago Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
Chicago opened as 1.5-point favorites, while the NBA total was set at 182.5 for those who prefer OVER/UNDER betting.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Odds Shark Power Rankings have the Bulls at No. 1 and the Heat at No. 3 heading into this contest. Handicapping models run by the computers at Odds Shark project a 106-104 result in favor of the Bulls.
How They Match Up:
In rebounding, the battle of the boards features Chicago's No. 2-rated squad against Miami's No. 9-rated roster. When it comes to long-range shooting, Chicago rates No. 15 in the league with 6.2 per game, while their foes tonight rank No. 11 with 6.7 per outing.
Defensively, the Heat feature the league's No. 3-rated defense on the road, allowing 95.2 points per game. Chicago, meanwhile, comes in at No. 19 in the league in scoring at home.
Miami won its last outing, a 97-87 result against the Celtics on May 11. The Heat managed to cover in that game as a 7.5-point favorite, while the 184 combined points took the game OVER the total.
The Bulls were a 93-73 Sportsbook in their most recent outing on the road against the Hawks. They covered the 3.5–point spread as favorites, while the total score (166) made Sportsbooks of UNDER bettors. Atlanta was run off the court by the Bulls on Thursday as Chicago blasted the Hawks 93-73 at Philips Arena.
Miami Heat Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 6-4
Before playing Chicago are 4-6
After playing Boston are 8-2
After a win are 8-2
Chicago Bulls Trends:
When playing on Sunday are 7-3
Before playing Miami are 6-4
After playing Atlanta are 8-2
After a win are 7-3
A few Heat at Bulls trends to consider:
Miami is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Miami's last 7 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games
Miami is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Chicago is 23-2 SU in its last 25 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chicago's last 7 games when playing at home against Miami
Chicago is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games
Chicago is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Miami
Next up:
Miami at Chicago, Wednesday, May 18
Chicago home to Miami, Wednesday, May 18
