Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls: Odds, Keys, And Players to Watch
The Miami Heat (40-21 and first in the Eastern Conference) are looking to pick up their fourth win in a row as they are at home to take on the Chicago Bulls (39-22 and second in the Eastern Conference) at 7:30 pm Eastern Time on Monday.
This matchup will see two of the East’s best teams faceoff, as both teams look to secure the top seed as the push for the NBA Playoffs continue.
Players To Watch
Bam Adebayo will be the main player to watch out for against the Bulls, as the center looks to continue his hot streak as of late. Adebayo, who had 36 points and seven rebounds against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, will look to continue to be a factor on both ends of the court.
He was one of the key pieces for the Miami Heat’s comeback against the Spurs and will look to control the painted area on both sides as well against the Bulls. Jimmy Butler will be the other player to watch for after the small forward finished with 27 points of his own against the Spurs.
He put on a terrific performance on both ends and will look to keep being a factor as he heads into this matchup against his former team. He will need to find the open man, take the open shot whenever he is open, and draw others towards him to get others on the offense involved.
The Miami Heat are looking to keep the top seed in the Eastern Conference and extend the win streak to four. Beating Chicago on Monday is how they do that.
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Tyler Herro will be the main man coming off the bench to watch out for in this matchup with the Bulls. He put up 25 against New York on Friday, 27 points against the Spurs on Saturday, and continues to be a factor when he’s on the floor.
He will need to keep up his hot streak, leading the Miami Heat bench unit to prominence. With Kyle Lowry out as well (personal reasons), it’s worth noting that Gabe Vincent will be worth a watch too.
He’ll, likely, get the starting nod in Lowry’s place.
Keys To The Game
1. Start And Finish With A Lead: Miami had to battle back from a 16-point deficient against the Spurs. The Miami Heat will have to start off strong from the field and play good ball at both ends if they look to leave this contest with a win though.
The Bulls won’t be so forgiving.
2. Keep The Stars In Check: The Miami Heat will have to keep tabs on a few players in this matchup with the Bulls. They need to keep an eye on DeMar DeRozan, who leads the team in scoring, while Zach LaVine is also a huge problem on multiple fronts, from range, in the paint, and with his ability to find the open man.
If Miami is able to slow these two down, they’ll have a great chance to get another quality win.
3. Attack The Paint: Miami had a total of 62 points in the paint against the Spurs. The Heat will have to attack the paint, as Nikola Vucevic is listed as day-to-day and is worth challenging there if he does go.
Bam and other Miami Heat players will have to take advantage of what might be an opportunity without him or at least, a version of him that isn’t at full capacity.
Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls Odds
Odds And Information Provided Courtesy Of WynnBET
Moneyline: MIA -155 CHI +127
Spread: MIA -3
Total: 225
Prediction
The Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls matchup has a lot of impact on the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Miami is looking to keep the top seed locked down, while the Bulls are trying to take over the first place spot.
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Miami will need to play a complete game with no sloppy plays or sloppy turnovers if they expect to beat the Bulls. They should win this one though, 115-110.