Bulls vs. Heat NBA Handicapping
They defy every NBA rule of gravity, these Bulls.
When other teams lose players, they fade. The Bulls seem to get better.
When other teams rest their key players, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau gives his regular more minutes.
Eastern Conference
Chicago Bulls (1-0) at Miami Heat (0-1)
Wednesday, May 8
American Airlines Arena, Miami
7 p.m. EST
Spread – Heat -12.5 at TOPBet
O/U – 186.5
ATS Matchup Stats | Gambling Insight!
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When other teams see the Miami Heat and lie down like a dog after a long run, the Bulls laugh and go right after LeBron & Co.
So after their Game 1 takedown of the prohibitive favorites, who knows what the Bulls will come up with in Game 2 tonight in Miami.
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If you believe in the house money theory, then the Bulls have already wrested home court edge from the Heat, and nothing that happens tonight will change that. Good time to take a breather, rest up and let the Heat be the Heat for 48 minutes before heading back to the Midwest at 1-1.
But another win and a team missing two starters (and that doesn’t include Derrick Rose) will have succeeded in turning the post-season on its head.
In the NBA, talent almost always trumps teamwork and stars have their way. Upsets are rare, and Little Engines that Could are swept aside. It’s just in everyone’s interest for teams like Miami to get to The Finals. Good for business.
But now it’s 1-0 Chicago, courtesy of Monday night’s 93-86 Bulls victory that no one believed could happen to a ready and rested Heat team. With the Bulls wounded, this series was expected to be a 5- (or maybe 6-) game formality before Miami moved closer toward its second straight title. [ad-6571516]
The Bulls apparently didn’t get the memo, and just flat-out outplayed Miami. Is there anyone in the entire country who thought it possible that Nate Robinson (27 points) and Jimmy Butler (21) would outscore James and Dwayne Wade by 10 points?
Robinson and Butler stepping up big-time no doubt surprised the Heat and enabled Chicago to compensate for the absence of Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich. Deng is still sick and is expected to miss his fourth straight game tonight, while Hinrich is iffy an could be down for the fifth straight game.
If the Bulls were down 0-1 instead of up 1-0, the temptation to play Hinrich and Deng might be overwhelming.
Now?
Not so much.
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The Heat will be giving 12.5 in this one, the exact same number as in Game 1. Sensing a tight, low-scoring game (Game 1 went under easily), bettors were flocking to the Bulls by a 2-1 margin in early wagering. The Heat also lost to Chicago in Miami during the regular season, by a similar score (96-89).
But we like an over play here against a reduced (186.5) number as Miami does everything it can to get up and down the court and take the Bulls out of their halfcourt game.
