LeBron James and the Miami Heat will get back in action on Monday night as they open up their best-of-seven second-round NBA playoff series at home against the Chicago Bulls.
The Heat swept the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs, going 3-1 ATS in those four contests while producing three UNDER results for totals bettors. The Bulls went the distance with the Nets, winning Game 7 99-93 on Saturday night.
(Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news). The Heat currently sports a record of 66-16, and have posted a corresponding betting slate of 46-36 ATS. The Bulls are 45-37 and 36-46 ATS. Betting totals have seen the Heat post a 43-39 OVER/UNDER record this season, while the Bulls have gone 37-45 against the number.
View Chicago vs Miami Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
For bettors going with the Heat in this one, they were listed earlier as 11.5-point favorites on the betting line at Sportsbook. Totals bettors have seen that number set at 186 for Monday at shops such as Sportsbook.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
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 104-96 result in favor of the Heat.
How They Match Up:
When it comes to rebounds, the visiting Bulls rank No. 8 in the league with 43.2 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. 3-ranked team at 8.7 per game, while the Bulls rate No. 29 with 5.4 per contest.
Defensively, the Bulls feature the league's No. 4-rated defense on the road, giving up 94.9 points per game. Miami, meanwhile, comes in at No. 4 in the league in scoring at home.
Chicago won its last outing, a 99-93 result against the Nets on May 4. The Bulls covered in that game as a 7-point underdog, while the 192 combined points took the game OVER the total. The Bulls got a 24-point performance from Joakim Noah, who added 14 rebounds as Chicago ran past Brooklyn 99-93 on Saturday at Barclays Center.
The Heat were an 88-77 Sportsbook in their most recent outing on the road against the Bucks. They covered the 8.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score (165) made Sportsbooks of UNDER bettors. LeBron James went off for 30 points and added 8 rebounds leading Miami to an 88-77 win over Milwaukee on Sunday at Bradley Center.
Chicago Bulls Trends:
When playing on Monday are 6-4
Before playing Miami are 7-3
After playing Brooklyn are 6-4
After a win are 4-6
Miami Heat Trends:
When playing on Monday are 5-5
Before playing Chicago are 8-2
After playing Milwaukee are 10-0
After a win are 10-0
A few Bulls at Heat trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games
Chicago is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing Miami
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Miami is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 6 games
Next up:
Chicago at Miami, Wednesday, May 8
Miami home to Chicago, Wednesday, May 8
