The Miami Heat (8-4) travel to face off against the Chicago Bulls (4-9) on Saturday, November 18th. This game will be played at United Center in United Center and televised on NBCS. The Heat are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Bulls are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Nets. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Heat vs Bulls

The Heat Are Coming Off A Win

In their most recent game, the Heat took down the Nets by a score of 122-115. Not only did the Heat win this game straight-up, but they also covered the spread as -3.5 point favorites. The over/under line heading into this matchup was 214.5 points in which the two teams surpassed.

Today’s matchup sees the Heat seeking to extend their current seven game winning streak, with an overall record standing at 8-4. Throughout their 12 games, the Heat have posted a 5-3 record against Eastern Conference opponents, while going 3-1 in non-conference matchups.

So far, Miami’s ATS record is below .500 at 5-6. When playing on the road, the Heat hold an ATS record of 4-2 in contrast to a 1-4 record against the spread when playing at home.

The Bulls Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

In their latest game against the Magic, Zach LaVine was the top scorer for the Bulls’ offense, scoring 34 points and shooting 12/20 from the field. While DeMar DeRozan was 2nd on the team with 23 points, Chicago fell short in the game with a final score of 103-97.

The Bulls have a below .500 record of 4-9 as they seek to come out on top vs. the Heat. During their 13 games, the Bulls have gone 3-5 against teams in the Eastern Conference and 1-4 in non-conference matchups.

Chicago has an ATS record of 5-8 for this season, which includes their current two game losing streak against the spread. On the road, the Bulls have an ATS record of 2-3 compared to a 3-5 record vs. the spread at home.

Heat Offense Breakdown

Through 12 games the Heat are averaging 110.7 points per contest, placing them 21st in the NBA. When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Heat are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 97.6 per contest. Their slower style of play has created fewer offensive opportunities, leading to them being ranked 28th in fields goals made per contest.

Bulls Offense Breakdown

In 13 games games, Chicago has an average of 107.6 points per game (29th). When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Bulls are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 97.4 per contest. If the Bulls offense is going to turn things around, they will need to either generate more possessions or improve their overall efficiency. Currently, they are just 21st ranked team in 3-point shooting percentage.

Heat Team Defense

This season, the Heat defense has been impressive, holding the 7th position in the league while permitting an average of 110.2 points per contest.

When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Heat squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 53.3% inside the arc, and they’re also giving up 38.5% from downtown.

Bulls Team Defense

Coming into the game, the Bulls defense has held opposing team’s to fewer points than the league average in 46.2% of their games. Currently, they are 13th in the NBA at 111.5 points per game allowed.

Most recently, the Bulls’ defense put together a solid performance, giving up just 103 points to the Magic.

Key Players For The Heat And Bulls

The outlook for today’s matchup points to Bam Adebayo as the primary point contributor for the Heat, finishing with 17 points while maintaining a 6/11 shooting accuracy. For the season, he has been averaging 22.7 points per game, in addition to 10.2 rebounds.

On the other side, DeMar DeRozan is our projected leading scorer for the Bulls. We have him ending the game with a team-high 18 and grabbing 3 rebounds. This season, he is shooting at a field goal percentage of 44%, and his scoring average is 21.3 points per game.

Heat vs Bulls Trends

• Across their last five road contests, Miami has been good against the spread posting a mark of 3-1-1. Their overall mark in these games was 4-1, while averaging 113 points per game.
• Through their last three home contests, the Bulls offense has averaged 105 points per game while allowing an average of 118. Chicago posted an overall record of 0-3 while going 1-2 ATS.
• Going back to their previous three games as the underdog, Chicago has an ATS mark of 2-1 while going 0-3 straight up.
• Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Heat have a straight up record of 8-2. But, their mark vs the spread was just 3-6-1.

Heat vs Bulls Prediction

We’re calling a win for the Heat, with a final score of 112-108, and we’re taking them to cover the spread. Our recommendation is to bet on the Heat at -3.5.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 213.5 and given that our model is projecting 220 points between the teams, we like the over.

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

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* 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.