The Miami Heat hosted the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament, but they let their first chance to get into the playoffs slip away.
The Hawks won 116-105 and it didn’t feel that close. Jimmy Butler only had 21 points and now the No. 10 seed Chicago Bulls have a chance to clinch the No. 8 seed in the East in Miami on Friday night.
The Bulls took down the Raptors in Toronto on Wednesday night behind a red hot Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan’s screaming daughter for a 109-105 win.
The Bulls were the first ever 10 seed to win in the Play-In Tournament, now they can be the first to do it again.
However, the Heat are the home favorites, so let’s get into the odds for Miami and Chicago.
Bulls vs. Heat odds, spread and total
CHI @ MIA | Best Odds
CHI
MIA
Odds updated April 13th, 2023, at 9:22 am
Bulls vs. Heat prediction and pick
The same way your grandparents head for Florida when they’ve reached the age where they’re over it, so do former NBA stars.
At 33, Jimmy Butler might still have it in him and we know he did this time last year, but despite having the highest scoring game of his season, Kyle Lowry is washed up.
As are Kevin Love and Victor Oladipo.
The Heat are a team made up of shooting guards, they started Max Strus, Tyler Herro and Gabe Vincent around Butler and Bam Adebayo and unsurprisingly got pounded on the glass. Clint Capela had 22 boards, eight of them offensive and the Hawks finished with 63 rebounds to Miami’s 39.
The Heat only had eight offensive rebounds. That’s less than Capela and 16 less than Atlanta as a team.
The Heat were actually fourth in defensive rebounding percentage this season, but clearly when the stakes and the intensity were raised in a play-in game, they were not up to the task.
They got outworked and didn’t have the effort necessary to win. Now, I still think Butler should be the best guy on the floor in this game, but LaVine had 30 points in the second half against Toronto, who is a tougher defensive matchup.
The Bulls also finished the season fifth in defensive rating, while Miami was 25th in offensive rating and the lowest scoring team in the NBA.
The Heat are 31-49-2 against the spread and the books keep overvaluing them. Do not fall for the trap because this could be our final time to fade the Heat this season.
CHI +5.5
-110
spread
Chicago Bulls @ Miami Heat
NBA • 2022-23 Play-in Tournament
04/14 6:00 PM
3-0-0 (100%) on CHI spread picks this season
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Published on Apr 13, 2023 8:38 AM
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