Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 18/04/2024, 16:15  by Joseph King | Modified on 18/04/2024 at 16:23 in NBA Predictions

The final spot for the NBA Playoffs in the Eastern Conference is up for grabs with the Miami Heat hosting the Chicago Bulls. The winner of this one-off game will meet the top-seeded Boston Celtics in the NBA Playoffs first round. 

The Heat missed out on their chance at claiming the seventh seed after a narrow 105-104 loss to Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. Coincidentally, Miami also lost the first game of the play-in last year before securing qualification as the eighth seed. They then put together one of the greatest playoff runs in NBA history to make the Finals. The Heat will be looking to capture lightning in a bottle twice as they come into this game as the favorites. The hosts finished the regular season with a 46-36 record, putting them just a single game behind fifth-place Orlando in the congested East. The loss to Philly snapped a two-game winning streak for the Heat who have six wins from their last 10 overall.

The Bulls kept their postseason hopes alive with a 131-116 win over the Atlanta Hawks in the ninth vs 10th seed play-in tournament game on Wednesday. It’s been another inconsistent campaign for Chicago as their 39-43 record means the team has finished below .500 for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. Fans haven’t had much to cheer for in the last decade with the six-time champions making the playoffs just twice in the past nine years, both of which resulted in first-round exits. They come into this matchup on a pretty solid run with three wins from their last four overall. The only loss during that time was a 120-119 overtime defeat to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Confidence should be high in the Chicago locker room heading into this win-or-go-home spot.