Heat vs. Bulls Predictions: Odds, expert picks, recent stats, trends and best bets for April 16
It's Wednesday, April 16, and the Miami Heat (37-45) and Chicago Bulls (39-43) are all set to square off from United Center in Chicago.
The Heat are currently 17-23 on the road with a point differential of 1, while the Bulls have an 8-2 record in their last ten games at home. Chicago has won all three meetings versus Miami this season and are slight favorites of one point.
The winner of this No. 9 seed versus No. 10 seed matchup will face the loser of the No. 7 versus No. 8 seed matchup between Atlanta and Orlando for a chance at the No. 8 seed. The No. 8 seed will have a first-round date with the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers.
We've got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Heat vs. Bulls live today
Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Time: 7:30PM EST
Site: United Center
City: Chicago, IL
Network/Streaming: ESPN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Heat vs. Bulls
The latest odds as of Wednesday:
Odds: Heat (-103), Bulls (-117)
Spread: Bulls -1
Over/Under: 219 points
That gives the Heat an implied team point total of 109.25, and the Bulls 109.77.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports' Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Wednesday's Heat vs. Bulls game
Dinsick likes Miami +1: 'I make the Heat small favs in this contest and would expect a close game decided by superlative coaching and clutch play from Miami.'
Dalzell likes Miami and the 1Q Under: 'The lowest total between these teams was 225 and this total dropped from 222.5 to 219.0, so that leaves me with a first quarter Under 56.5 to 55.5 and Miami +1 play. The fact the total is dropping is an indication of a play on Miami rather than Chicago and Josh Giddey is questionable, which is a significant impact on the Bulls' offense.'
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today's Heat & Bulls game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Miami Heat at +1.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 219.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today's calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Heat vs. Bulls on Wednesday
The Bulls have won their last three meetings with the Heat
Four of the last five meetings between these teams have produced 230 or more points
The Bulls have won each of their last three encounters with the Heat by five points or more
It's win-or-go-home time in the NBA playoffs and the Chicago Bulls should be happy with their play-in game match-up against the Heat. Chicago won all three of the teams' regular-season meetings, two of them at home, and finished the season with six wins in their last seven games. They can advance.
If you're looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
- Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
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