Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls record this season, odds, rosters, and more for NBA Play-In Tournament 2023
The Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls matchup should be very competitive. The two Eastern Conference teams will fight for the eighth seed and the winner of the game will face the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs.
While the Heat finished the regular season with four more wins than the Bulls, they couldn't get to the sixth seed and avoid the play-in tournament. Miami lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the first game of the tournament, 116-105, and will host Chicago on Friday night.
Jimmy Butler will play against his former team, while DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, former teammates, will face each other in a high-stakes game.
The Chicago Bulls have swept regular-season series against the Miami Heat
The two Eastern Conference teams have met three times in the 2022-23 season. However, the Heat couldn't get a single victory in these games. Not only did Miami lose three times, but these losses came by an average margin of 10.6 points per game.
With 27 wins and 14 losses, the Miami Heat have the fifth-best home record in the East. However, their disappointing loss to the Atlanta Hawks showed how vulnerable they can be.
When it comes to injuries, the Chicago Bulls will only be without Lonzo Ball. The talented guard hasn't appeared in a single game this season and was ruled out for the remainder of it.
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The Heat will likely be without Nikola Jovic, who missed the matchup against the Hawks due to back issues. Gabe Vincent, the Heat's starting guard, also dealt with an injury during the first play-in game and is listed as day-to-day on the injury report.
If Vincent plays, both teams will likely have all of their rotation players available.
When it comes to the Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls matchup odds, they favor the home team. However, we can still expect a very competitive game as both teams will fight hard to make the playoffs. Here are the odds via DraftKings:
- Miami Heat win: -225
- Chicago Bulls win: +190
- Spread: Heat -5.5 (-110/-110)
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The two teams have played 125 regular-season games against each other, and the Bulls have a 63-62 lead. The Heat and Bulls have met in seven different series in the postseason, with the Bulls winning five of them and being 18-13 overall.
The game will tip-off on Friday at 7 PM Eastern Time. This will be the first game of the day, followed by a matchup between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the OKC Thunder.