Heat vs. Bulls Prediction, Expert Picks & NBA Odds: Best Bets for NBA Play-In Tournament
The Chicago Bulls (39-43) look to make it four wins in a row this season against the Miami Heat (37-45) when they meet in Wednesday's NBA Play-In Tournament at the United Center in Chicago (7:30 p.m. ET).
Our Heat vs. Bulls prediction and expert picks, part of our NBA picks based on the best NBA odds, expect the Bulls to win and earn the right for one more chance to qualify for the postseason proper.
The Bulls are the marginal 1-point betting favorites at our best sports betting sites. You can also check out the rest of our NBA Play-In Tournament predictions.
📺 Game info & where to watch Heat vs. Bulls live on Wednesday
📅 Date: Wednesday, April 16
🕗 Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
📍 Location: United Center (Chicago)
📺 TV: ESPN
💻 Streaming: Hulu + Live TV, Max, DirecTV Stream, Sling TV
💡 Heat vs. Bulls prediction & expert picks: NBA Play-In Tournament - Wednesday, April 16
🎯 Score prediction: Bulls 110, Heat 105
✅ Best bet: Under 219.5 (-110 via bet365)
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📰 Heat vs. Bulls NBA preview & matchup analysis
Despite defeating the Heat in all three matchups this season, the Bulls are small home favorites in the East’s 9th vs. 10th place game. The Bulls won both of their home games by at least eight points, and they enter Wednesday’s game on a three-game winning streak. One of those three wins was over the Heat.
With the spread so small, it feels as though oddsmakers are laying a trap for bettors. But how can you confidently back the Heat when they haven’t been able to figure out the Bulls all season? Sure, they have more postseason experience, and Tyler Herro averaged 24.7 points per game against the Bulls this season, but everything else points to a Bulls’ victory.
While I expect the Bulls to pull out the win, the total is a bit more interesting. All three games between these two teams totaled at least 123 points, and the two games in Chicago each went for at least 130. The Bulls are averaging 117.8 points per game, which ranks sixth in the NBA, while the Heat are averaging just 110.6, which ranks 24th.
Defense generally plays a larger factor in the NBA postseason than in the regular season, which could be great news for the Heat and their seventh-ranked scoring defense. If they shut down the high-scoring Bulls’ offense, then they could keep this game lower-scoring than many are expecting. But even if they do, the Bulls have too much firepower, and at home, it’s hard not to like them against a team they’ve played well against all year.
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💰 Heat vs. Bulls picks & best bets
✅ Against the spread pick: Bulls -1 (-105 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
✅ Moneyline pick: Bulls (-115 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
✅ Over/Under pick: Under 219.5 (-110 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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⛹️ Best Heat vs. Bulls NBA Play-In Tournament predictions
🔎 Our NEW NBA player prop odds tool can help you find the best NBA odds across legal sportsbooks in your area!
🔥 Bulls -1 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Erik Spoelstra always seems to overachieve once he makes the postseason, so perhaps I’m making a mistake with this play. However, the Bulls’ offense has been great this season. Despite their lack of postseason experience, the trio of Coby White, Nikola Vucevic, and Josh Giddey has had no trouble against the Heat this season.
Even if one of those players struggles on Wednesday, it’s unlikely that all three go ice cold at home. The Heat defense poses a serious threat, but even if this is a lower-scoring game than the Bulls are used to playing, their depth of scorers is more impressive than the Heat’s, which will be the difference late in the game.
Best odds: -105 via DraftKings
🔥 Bulls moneyline ⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you like the Bulls against the spread, then you have to like them on the moneyline as well. Because the spread is so tight, the best bet of this game is to simply take the Bulls' moneyline. This prevents a push or potential loss if they win by just one point.
The price for this moneyline is either -115 or -120 at our best sports betting apps, so there isn’t much of a benefit to betting at one place over another. With the majority of the betting public backing the Heat, it’s likely this line will continue to drop, so you may be able to get this at -110 before tipoff. At that point, there’s no reason to get cute with the spread. Just bet the Bulls to win.
Best odds: -115 via BetMGM
🔥 Under 219.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Bulls are their most comfortable when they’re involved in high-scoring games, yet this is one trap I’m not falling for. Oddsmakers have set this total 3.5 or more points below the lowest-scoring game between these two teams this season. This has led to over 50% of bettors backing the Over.
However, the Heat have been one of the best defensive teams all season long, and they’ve already held the Bulls to 114 points once this season. Since these two teams met just a week ago, and the Heat gave up 119 points, Spoelstra will have plenty to work on with his team defensively to get ready for this game.
Those adjustments will allow the Heat to play this game the way they want to, even if they ultimately fall short in the end.
Best odds: -110 via bet365
🚀 Best Heat vs. Bulls parlay picks & SGP odds
🧪 Want to make your own SGP? Check out our NEW parlay calculator to get the best odds for any same-game parlay.
🔢 Best Heat vs. Bulls odds & betting lines
🛒 Shop around for the best Heat vs. Bulls odds from our best sports betting apps.
📡 Heat vs. Bulls live odds
🛜 Game already started? You can still get in on the action with our best live betting sites.
🪧 Heat vs. Bulls opening odds
Opening odds via BetMGM.
- Spread: Heat +1.5 (-110) | Bulls -1.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Heat -105 | Bulls -115
- Over/Under: Over 218.5 (-110) | Under 218.5 (-110)
📊 Heat vs. Bulls stats: Records, trends & best odds for Wednesday
📈 For full team stats and betting line history, follow our Heat vs. Bulls matchup.
🚑 Heat vs. Bulls injury report
📋 For the latest injury news, check today's official NBA injury report.
🗳️ Who will win Heat vs. Bulls?
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