A huge NBA matchup takes place on Thursday night as the Miami Heat travel to take on the Chicago Bulls. The game is scheduled for an 8:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on TNT. Currently the odds have the Bulls favored by 1.5 points with the total sitting at 186 points. The two top teams in the Eastern Conference meet up for a clash to see who will end up with the top spot for the playoffs.
Free Analysis: The Heat and Bulls have been the two top teams in the Eastern Conference and the NBA for most of the season. The status of Bulls star point guard Derrick Rose is still up in the air at this point of the day, but Chicago has done a pretty decent job of playing without him, going 16-7. If Rose isn't able to go, it will be the 14th time in 15 games he's been sidelined with an injury. Defense has been the focal point of the Bulls this season, winning 44 games to date and holding the top overall record in the NBA. The Bulls are coming off a 98-86 win over the New York Knicks on Tuesday night while the Heat. In fact, the 115 points was the most given up by the Heat since LeBron James and Chris Bosh brought their talents to South Beach to join forces with Dwyane Wade. That's a lot of points, but it also took them quite a few games to reach the bad effort. Boston shot 60.6 percent against the Heat in that game. Miami is three games behind the Bulls in the loss column but does have two games in hand against Chicago. That being said, a win tonight would be huge for the team that made the NBA Finals last season and is on a mission to get back there again this year. However, even though the teams play again April 19 in Miami, the Bulls know they can significantly improve their chances of being the No. 1 seed with a win tonight. Miami seems to be struggling at the wrong time this season, going just 5-5 overall in their last 10 games. It's also worth noting that three of the team's worst 10 shooting nights have come in their last 10 games overall. Not being able to shoot the ball at this point in the season equates to tired legs, which isn't what Miami wants to deal with right now. Defense has been the biggest reason both of these teams are where they are, but the Heat, in their last 10 games, haven't been playing good defense either. They've given up an average of 96 points per game and more than 47 percent shooting during that span. Chicago beat Miami 106-102 on March 14 as Rose watched due to a groin injury, which has been a major problem for him this season. John Lucas scored 24 points off the bench. Six players scored in double figures for the Bulls in the win and the team connected for 10 of 19 from 3-point range. Wade connected for 36 points in that game while James added 35 for the Heat. A wild card in this game could be Richard Hamilton, who became the fifth Bull to reach 20 points during Rose's absence.
Free Pick: I like the Heat in this contest, assuming Rose doesn't play tonight. I know the Bulls have done a great job of playing without their superstar point guard to date this season, winning 16 of their 23 games. However, the Heat still have an outside chance of getting the No. 1 seed in the East with a win. They're going to have to win tonight and then get out of the funk they are currently in, where they are just 5-5 overall in the last 10 games. That has to improve. Playing a great defensive team like the Bulls could be a problem, but I like Miami. Wade and James play well in Chicago and I'm expecting big games from both of them tonight.
Free Picks: Heat at Bulls - Best Bet from Marco DAngelo
Eastern Conference Final preview and Expect a defensive game with playoff atmosphere plus other factors NBA bettors need to know about Heat at Bulls (Thursday, April 12, 2012) from Pregame.com - Including predictions from Scott Spreitzer and analysis from host Marco D'Angelo.