Chicago vs Miami NBA Hoops Pick

The Chicago Bulls head south to Miami to take on the Heat this Tuesday night. The Bulls (30-28) are in third place in the Central Division, but they have lost two in a row and five of their last 10. Their last game was a 103-95 home loss to Portland. The Heat (33-26) are in first place in the Southeast Division. Despite losing two of their last three, they did knock off the Knicks on Sunday at Madison Square Garden, 98-81. Get the latest NBA online betting lines for this game here.

Chicago vs Miami NBA Hoops Pick

When: Tuesday, March 1, 2016, 7:30 PM ET Where: American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL TV: NBA TV, SUN, CSNC Radio: AM 790 The Ticket Live Stream: NBA-Stream.com NBA Odds: TBA    

Why should you bet on the Heat?

The addition of Joe Johnson to the Heat starting lineup gives them an extra dimension that they had been missing. Even though Dwyane Wade scored 26 in New York on Sunday, having Johnson on the team means that the Heat don’t have to ride Wade quite as hard as they would have otherwise. He nailed a three on his first shot as the Heat opened up a 13-2 lead on the Knicks to start the game. Hassan Whiteside continues to control the inside against Heat opponents, scoring 16 points and pulling down 11 boards. The Brooklyn Nets had waived Johnson after he agreed to a buyout (much like they did with Deron Williams), and he is already showing new life in his new home.

Why should you put your money on Chicago?

There’s no shame in losing to the Portland Trail Blazers these days. They started out the season dreadfully, but the return of Damian Lillard has vaulted them back into the playoff race in the West. It hasn’t been that long since they routed the Warriors by 32 points at home, and Lillard’s 31 points keyed Portland to their 16th win in their last 20. For the Bulls, Pau Gasol continues to play well — he posted a triple-double in the loss. Doug McDermott and E’Twaun Moore are also playing well. However, with Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler still on the shelf, the Bulls are having to play below full strength. The fact that they can play so well while missing two key players should bode well for them, and the Heat are closer to the Bulls in terms of performance right now than Portland.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

The Bulls are a plucky team, but the Heat now have too many weapons, particularly with the addition of Johnson. I’m taking the Heat to win this, 108-99.