NBA Betting Preview: Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat Odds, Analysis

The Chicago Bulls (39-39) are 2.5 games behind the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference heading into Thursday’s meeting with the Miami Heat (45-32), who are also trying to make a late run at the Southeast Division title.

The Heat are listed as consensus five-point favorites at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark.

With only four games left in the regular season for the Bulls, they will need to find a way to break through on the road by winning either at Miami or against the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday.

Chicago lost the regular-season series with the Detroit Pistons, who reside in eighth place. The Bulls likely need to win three of their last four and hope the Pistons stumble over the last week to overtake them

Both Chicago and Detroit also have a chance to knock the Indiana Pacers out of the postseason picture.

Meanwhile, Miami is just a half-game behind the defending Southeast champion Atlanta Hawks, who earned the top seed in the East a year ago. The Heat are coming off an easy 107-89 victory against the Pistons as 4.5-point home favorites on Tuesday behind 22 points and eight assists from point guard Goran Dragic.

That win ended the team’s three-game cover skid after winning four of five both straight up and against the spread.

This series has been lopsided lately in favor of Miami, according to the Odds Shark NBA Database. The Heat have won four of the past five meetings SU and ATS, including all three played between the teams this season.

The Bulls lost 129-111 at Miami on March 1 as six-point underdogs and then followed that up with a 118-96 home defeat as four-point dogs 10 days later. However, Chicago did beat the Heat on the road last season, earning an 89-78 win as two-point dogs last April 9.

The total has gone over in the last two head-to-head matchups following a run of six consecutive under results in the series. The Bulls have also seen the under cash in their last eight games overall along with 10 of 11. The under is 5-1 in the previous six games overall for Miami as well.