Wade Brings the Heat into Chi Town – Miami at Chicago

BetOnline NBA Basketball Sports Betting Odds: CHICAGO -6, Total 202.5

Here are some of the NBA pro basketball sports betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* MIA has lost four of its last six games SU

* MIA has lost five of its last six road games SU

* CHI has covered eight of its last 11 games

* CHI has won five of its last six games SU

* CHI has won and covered eight of its last nine home games

* CHI has played nine of its last 13 home games OVER the total

Also…

* CHI has covered seven of the last ten meetings

* MIA has won the last four meetings SU

* Four of the last five meetings have gone UNDER the total

* CHI has covered nine of the last 12 meetings as the home team

* CHI has won five of the last six meetings SU as the home team

* Five of the last seven meetings in Chicago have gone OVER the total

* MIA has had the shooting edge in four of the last five meetings

* CHI has had the rebounding edge in five of the last six meetings

* MIA has made more three-pointers in four of the last five meetings

Miami is holding on to the fifth spot in the East right now, but they are just a game ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers. That’s the difference between playing Atlanta and either Orlando or Boston in the first round of post-season action, so there is a certain significance to it. Chicago is in eighth place in the East, a game behind 7th-place Detroit, but the Bulls’ spot is in no way firm; they are just two and a half games ahead of Charlotte and three games in front of Milwaukee.

Fans can only hope to see a game like they did last time these teams met, a double-overtime affair where Dwyane Wade hit a three-pointer as time ran out to lift his Heat to a 130-127 victory. That was Miami’s fourth straight win over the Bulls, and it was the first "over" in the last five meetings.

There is no doubt that Chicago has been coming on as a team since the trade that brought Brad Miller and John Salmons over from Sacramento. Salmons has been able to fill the gap left by the injury to Luol Deng, scoring 24, 38, 20 and 30 points in consecutive games against the Hornets, Celtics, Thunder and Lakers recently. Miller simply gives this team some bulk and scoring up front, as well as a good passer out of the pivot.

Wade is coming off a game where he scored 21 points against Indiana, but shot only 5-for-24 fro the field. Jermaine O’Neal, however, has gone 13 games without reaching double figures in rebounds, and Michael Beasley hasn’t had ten rebounds in a game since January 31.

Chicago is just to hot at home lately to move against. The Bulls have won and covered eight of their last nine at the United Center, taking advantages of winnable opportunities. They’ve also recently recorded road wins at Oklahoma City and Washington. Miami played at Indianapolis last night, and they are just 3-12 ATS playing the second end of back-to-back games. We’re going to lay the points with Chicago, the six-point favorite in the BetOnline NBA pro basketball sports betting odds.

JAY’S PLAY: CHICAGO -6 ***

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