bulls vs heat nba betting prediction
PublishedDecember 16, 2023,            Posted By: Maria Uebelhor
Last updated:December 16, 2023 , ,

NBA: Chicago Bulls vs Miami Heat Prediction 12/16/2023

The Chicago Bulls (10-16) travel to face off against the Miami Heat (14-11) on Saturday, December 16th. This game will be played at Kaseya Center. The Bulls are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Heat are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Heat. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Bulls vs Heat

The Bulls Are Coming Off A Win

The Bulls clinched a 124-116 win over the Heat in their previous game. The Bulls entered the game as the underdogs by +3.5, resulting in both a straight-up and ATS win. The over/under line heading into this matchup was 214 points in which the two teams surpassed.

So far this season, the Bulls have an overall record of 10-16 and have gone 1-2 in their last three games. When facing other teams from the Eastern Conference, the Bulls are 7-10 compared to a 3-6 record in non-conference games.

Chicago arrives with an ATS record of 12-14 for the season up to this point. On the road, the Bulls have an ATS record of 5-7 compared to a 7-7 record vs. the spread at home.

The Heat Look To Bounce Back From A Lossmiami heat

Jaime Jaquez Jr. led Miami with 22 points against the Bulls, the highest on the team. He finished with a field goal percentage of 46.2% in the game. Jimmy Butler put up 20 points which was 2nd on the team, but it wasn’t enough as Miami ended up losing the game with a final score of 124-116.

The Heat are hoping to build on their above .500 record of 14-11 as they face the Bulls today. So far this season, the Heat are 8-6 on the road compared to 6-5 at home.

Miami has an overall ATS record of 11-13 as they come into today’s game. As the favorite this season, Miami is 6-8 vs. the spread while going 5-5 as the underdog.

Bulls Offense Breakdown

Through 26 games games, Chicago is averaging 109.7 points per game (26th). When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Bulls are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 96.3 per contest. Not only does the team’s offense play at a slower pace, but they their overall lack of efficiency has them ranked 25th in made field goals per game.

Heat Offense Breakdown

The Heat come into today’s game as the 20th ranked scoring offense at 112.8 points per game. One area that the Miami offense is finding success, is their ability to get to the free-throw line. So far, the team is averaging 19.4 made free-throws per contest. If the Heat offense is going to improve, they could look to play at a faster tempo, as they currently average just 96.9 possession per game. This could benefit the team as they are currently one of the better 3-point shooting units in the NBA.

Bulls Team Defense

At present, the Bulls’ defense is ranked 12th, allowing 113.5 points per game.

Chicago’s defense is currently forcing 11.4 turnovers per game, which is 1st in the league. Additionally, they enter the game ranked 22nd in blocked shots, with an average of 4.6 rejections per game.

Heat Team Defense

This season, the Heat defense has been impressive, holding the 9th position in the league while permitting an average of 111.8 points per contest.

The Miami defense has allowed opponents to shoot 38.2% from beyond the arc this season. Opposing teams are also hitting 48.6% of their field goal attempts vs. Miami.

Key Players For The Bulls And Heat

The outlook for today’s matchup points to DeMar DeRozan as the primary point contributor for the Bulls, finishing with 20 points while maintaining a 7/14 shooting accuracy. This season, he is averaging 22.3 points per game along with 3.6 boards.

On the other side, Jimmy Butler is our projected leading scorer for the Heat. We have him ending the game with a team-high 16 and grabbing 4 rebounds. For the season, he has a field goal percentage of 46.2% and is averaging 21.5 points per contest.

Bulls vs Heat Trendschicago bulls

  • In their last five road games, Chicago has averaged 116 points per game while allowing 120. The team’s record in this stretch was 2-3 while going 3-2.
  • In their last three games at home, the Heat have a straight up record of 2-1 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team averaged 108 points per game in this stretch.
  • In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Bulls have a strong straight up record of 3-2. In addition, their ATS record was 4-1 in these scenarios.
  • Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, Miami has an ATS mark of 5-4-1 while going 7-3 straight up.

Bulls vs Heat Prediction

For a point-spread bet in this Heat vs. Heat matchup, we’re leaning towards the Bulls at +4.5. Although our projections show the Heat winning 113-111, we suggest placing your bet on the Bulls for the point-spread.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 217.5 and our model has the Bulls and Heat finishing with a combined 224 points. Our pick is to take the over.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.