The Chicago Bulls will host a contest against the Miami Heat at the United Center. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 11 and can be seen on NBA, WGN and SUN.
The Bulls are hoping for a better outcome after their 109-101 loss to the Spurs on Thursday. E’Twaun Moore had a solid performance, putting up 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists for Chicago. The Heat, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 114-108 loss against the Bucks on Wednesday. Miami still lost despite the best efforts of Hassan Whiteside, who recorded his 28th double-double of the season with 23 points and 13 rebounds.
Whiteside has upped his play for the Heat, averaging 18.2 points, 14.0 rebounds, 1.0 assist, and 4.2 blocks over the past five games.
The Bulls may have trouble getting to the line in this one. They’re 26th in the NBA in free throw attempt rate (24.2), while Miami is among the NBA’s least foul-prone squads (yielding a free throw attempt rate of just 24.4, third in the NBA).
The Heat have emerged victorious in both games against the Bulls this year, including a decisive 129-111 victory in their last matchup. Whiteside put up a double-double in the victory with 26 points and 14 rebounds.
The Bulls come into this game 32-31 Straight Up (SU) and 26-37 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (7-3). The Bulls prevent teams from making three-pointers, ranking fifth in the league with 477 total three-pointers allowed (7.0 per game).
Over on the other bench, the Heat have a record of 34-29-1 ATS and 37-27 SU. Against the Eastern Conference, Miami is 37-27 SU and 34-29-1 ATS. Blocking shots is an area where Miami has excelled. The Heat average 6.7 blocks per game, best in the league.
In their previous meeting this season, Miami beat Chicago, bumping its SU record over the last 10 meetings to 6-4. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record.
Predictions: SU Winner – Mia
Notes
Miami’s offense and Chicago’s defense are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per game and points allowed per game respectively. Miami scores an average of 0.0 points per game, while Chicago allows 0.0 points per game.
Miami and Chicago are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per away game and points allowed at home respectively. Miami scores an average of 0.0 points on the road, while Chicago allows 0.0 points at home on average.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Heat are 29-10 on the season. When the Bulls score fewer than 100, they are an underachieving 10-17.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Heat are just 8-17 this season. Chicago is a solid 22-14 when registering triple digits.
The Heat have an offensive rating of 103.4 (ranked 18th), while the Bulls rank 10th for their defensive rating of 102.9.
Miami has an average field goal percentage of 46.4% (ranked fifth). Chicago is a subpar 1-11 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Chicago is 29th and 25th in the league for EFF% and FG% respectively, while Miami ranks 13th and fifth in these categories.
Chicago makes an average of 22.5 assists per game (ranked 13th), while Miami makes 20.5 assists per game (ranked 24th).
Among all teams, Miami is the best at blocking, registering an average of 6.7 per game. Chicago ranks slightly lower in total blocks, at sixth (5.7 per game).
The Chicago Bulls rank sixth in offensive rebounding, while the Miami Heat also rank sixth in defensive rebounds.
The Chicago Bulls make an average of 5.9 steals per game. The Miami Heat are 32-22 when they allow 5 or more steals.
