Bulls vs Heat Odds & Picks: Chicago Has Struggled Against League’s Best

First place in the Eastern Conference is on the line tonight when the Bulls (39-22 SU, 36-24-1 ATS) take on the Heat (40-21, 34-26-1) in Miami. Chicago has dropped both meetings this season and is just 2-13 SU on the year against teams with winning percentages of .600 or higher.

Bulls vs Heat Odds & Analysis

Sportsbook Odds

Miami opened as a 5-point favorite before news broke that point guard Kyle Lowry wouldn’t be playing tonight, causing the line to drop to 3.5 by the time of writing. The UNDER appeared to be the most popular Bulls vs Heat prediction among early bettors, driving the total down to 225.

Get the best Bulls vs Heat odds and lines available from our recommended sportsbooks for your favorite picks of the night.

Bulls 0-2 SU This Year vs Miami, Have Had Difficulty Beating League’s Top Teams

Chicago may be on Miami’s heels for first place in the East, but it’s difficult to like the Bulls’ chances in the playoffs if they can’t start beating quality opponents. Chicago is 2-13 SU this season when facing teams with a winning percentage of .600 or higher, including Saturday’s 116-100 home loss to Memphis that snapped the Bulls’ six-game winning streak. Chicago has also dropped both meetings with the Heat this year.

DeMar DeRozan had 31 points on Saturday — his 10th straight outing with at least 30, the longest for a Bulls player since Michael Jordan in 1992 — but he had a rare off-night from the floor, missing 19 of his 29 attempts. Zach LaVine added 28 on Saturday as the Bulls cracked the 110-point plateau for the seventh time in their last eight games.

Chicago’s high-scoring ways might make the OVER seem like the obvious Bulls vs Heat prediction for tonight, but the oddsmakers have caught on as well. Despite having 220-plus points scored in four of their last five games, the Bulls are 4-1 to the UNDER during that stretch.

East-Leading Heat Eager To Test Themselves Against Conference Elite

After beating up on some softer opposition during an 8-1 SU surge that has shot them to the top of the Eastern Conference, the Heat are embracing the opportunity to face some tougher opposition.

“That’s what makes this business and this profession great,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told the South Florida Sun Sentinel about Miami’s upcoming schedule, which also includes trips this week to Milwaukee and Brooklyn before a home game against Philadelphia on Saturday. “It’s great competition.”

That competition will be even tougher with Lowry unavailable tonight (personal reasons) and star forward Jimmy Butler potentially hampered by injuries. According to reports, soreness was the reason Butler sat out the fourth quarter of Saturday’s tight 133-129 win over San Antonio, although he downplayed any injury, telling reporters he trusted his teammates to close the game out. Butler didn’t seem bothered by soreness in the first three quarters, hitting seven of his 11 shots to score 27 points in 30 minutes.

Bulls vs Heat Pick & Insights

Bulls: Keys To Cover

Chicago’s struggles against elite opposition are no secret to the Bulls players, who have a chance to prove they’re a legitimate contender in the East if they can pull off the upset in Miami. DeRozan may also be poised for a bounce-back effort after Saturday’s ugly shooting performance, which snapped an NBA-record eight-game streak of 35-point games with at least 50 percent shooting.

Heat: Keys To Cover

The offense might take a hit without Lowry and with Butler banged up, but Miami can still rely on its fifth-ranked defense to keep Chicago’s potent attack in check. Meanwhile, the Bulls haven’t just been losing recent matchups with top teams, they haven’t been covering them either — going 1-5 ATS in their last six against opponents above .600.

Odds Shark’s Computer Bulls vs Heat Prediction: Bulls +3.5

Check out more of Odds Shark’s signature NBA and NCAAB computer picks, plus our favorite sportsbooks that serve basketball customers.

See Odds Shark’s Best NBA Betting Sites