Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg is probably wondering where the effort his team is showing now was a few weeks back. Chicago is fighting for its playoff life, but the hill may be too steep and the Bulls will be watching the playoffs from home for the first time in eight seasons with another loss.
You can bet on NBA odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
SCHEDULING
The Bulls enter the week two games behind Detroit and Indiana for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. And considering they don’t own the tiebreaker with the Pistons, there’s a good chance Chicago will need to win out the rest of the way to have a chance. If the Bulls don’t make it to the postseason, at least they’re going down fighting. They held on Sunday for a win in Milwaukee, their third straight on the road, to keep the pressure on the teams directly above them in the standings. Unfortunately a home loss to Detroit on Saturday may be the one they won’t be able to overcome.
And if the Bulls can’t beat Miami for the first time this season, we might as well stick a fork in the underachieving group because they just won’t have enough time to make up the games. The Heat have plenty at stake as well, mainly the Southeast Division title and the top-four playoff seed that comes with it. Miami goes for the season sweep of the bulls after winning twice in Chicago, including a 22-point blowout when the teams met at the UC on Mar. 11.
INJURIES
It’s unknown at this time if Derrick Rose will play. He missed both games over the weekend with a hyperextended elbow. Forward Taj Gibson is out with a rib injury and could miss the remainder of the season. The Bulls are also closely monitoring E’Twaun Moore’s sore left hamstring, though it’s likely he will play.
A sore back and neck forced Dwyane Wade to miss the final two games of the Heat’s west coast road trip. “When I feel like I can move around, do things I need to do, I will jump back out there,” Wade said.
KEY MATCHUP
Heat center Hassan Whiteside has a chance to finish the season with numbers that only Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has posted. Whiteside has an NBA leading 251 blocks this year and is shooting above 60 percent from the field. No player in NBA history besides Kareem has finished with that combination. Miami is headed to the playoffs thanks to the contributions of Whiteside, who has been consistently productive all year and a game-changer on many nights. He’s averaging a double-double this season with over 14 points and nearly 12 rebounds a game. The big man has three triple-doubles this year, and four in his career, that include blocked shots. His first was a memorable 14-point, 13-rebound, 12-block night against the Bulls last season. The blocks total remains his career-best.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
An aging roster. A new coach. Injuries. Take your pick which ones will likely prevent Chicago from making the playoffs this season. The year hasn’t gone according to plan for the Bulls, who were expected to compete with Cleveland for the East’s top spot, but they are showing a little fight down the stretch. It just won’t be enough. Jimmy Butler is doing his best to keep the postseason dream alive and the Bulls finally won consecutive games on the road, but like we’ve seen all NBA season, the Bulls just won’t do enough. Miami has Chicago’s number this season winning all three of the previous meetings, the last two in blowout fashion. And even without Wade, who may not play, the Heat are in the running for a top-four and homecourt advantage in the conference. That’s something worth playing for.
Miami 103, Chicago 97
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The matchup between the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat will tipoff Thursday, April 7, 2016, at 8 p.m. ET at American Airlines Arena. The contest will be broadcast nationally on TNT.
