Heat begin title defense vs. Bulls

LeBron James and the Miami Heat will begin another defense of their title on Tuesday as they open up the season at home against Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls.

The Heat and Bulls enter the season as the top two teams on the odds to win the NBA championship next spring at the sportsbooks, with Miami listed at 21/10 and Chicago set at 11/2. The Heat are just 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games against the Bulls. Follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news.

View Chicago Bulls vs Miami Heat Odds and Stats.

The Heat were listed as a 5.5-point favorite at sportsbooks tracked by Odds Shark (including Sportsbook), while the total was listed at 187.5 over at Sportsbook earlier.

The Odds Shark Power Rankings have the Heat at No. 6 and the Bulls at No. 13 heading into this contest. Handicapping models run by the computers at Odds Shark project a 95-88 result in favor of the Heat.



Last time out for Chicago, they were a 94-91 loser as they battled the Heat on the road. The Bulls covered in the match as a 14-point underdog, while 185 combined points moved the game OVER for totals bettors. The Bulls got a 26-point performance from Carlos Boozer, who added 14 rebounds, but Miami still ran past Chicago 94-91 on Wednesday at AmericanAirlines Arena.

In their last action, Miami was a 95-88 Sportsbook at home against the Spurs. They covered the 5.5-point spread as favorites, while the combined score (183) was profitable news for UNDER bettors. Miami got 37 points from LeBron James en route to a 95-88 victory over San Antonio on Thursday at AmericanAirlines Arena.

How They Match Up:
When it comes to rebounds, the visiting Bulls rank No. 9 in the league with 42.86 per game. That compares with Miami’s No. 30 ranking in that category. The story is different when it comes to three-point shooting where Miami is the NBA’s No. 4-ranked team at 8.51 per game, while the Bulls rate No. 29 with 5.44 per contest.

A few Bulls at Heat trends to consider:
Chicago is 8-15 ATS in its last 23 games
Chicago is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Chicago's last 9 games
Chicago is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Miami is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games
Miami is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Miami is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games at home


Next up:
Chicago at New York, Thursday, October 31st
Miami at Philadelphia, Wednesday, October 30th

 

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