Posted on
4/8/2008 4:29:13 PM
NBA Basketball Betting - Chicago at Miami
By Charles Jay
WHO: Chicago Bulls (30-46 SU, 33-43 ATS) at Miami Heat (13-64 SU, 29-47-1 ATS)
WHERE: American Airlines Arena in Miami
WHEN: Tuesday, April 8 at 7:30 PM ET
BetUS NBA betting odds: Chicago -10, Total 185.5
In the HEAD-to-HEAD NBA betting sportsbook trends:
* CHI has won and covered the last six meetings
* Four of the last six meetings have gone OVER the total
* CHI has won and covered four of the last five meetings as the visitor
* MIA has won 15 of the last 20 meetings as the home team SU
* Four of the last six meetings in Miami have gone UNDER the total
Chicago is the NBA's worst shooting team, with 43.2% accuracy. The Bulls have averaged 13.1 offensive rebounds a game and have an assist/turnover ratio of 1.6-to-1. Also:
* CHI has lost four of its last six games SU
* CHI has covered two of its last six games
* CHI has played four of the last six games OVER the total
* CHI has lost six of its last seven road games SU
* CHI has played five of its last six road games OVER the total
Miami is being outscored by an average of 8.4 points per game at home. The Heat is last in the NBA in overall scoring, home scoring and home rebounds. Also:
* MIA has lost its last seven games SU
* MIA has covered one of its last five games
* MIA has played five of its last six games UNDER the total
* MIA has covered one of its last five home games
* MIA has lost nine of its last ten home games SU
* MIA has played six of its last seven home games UNDER the total
Miami's team often looks like it's playing a pickup game, with D-Leaguers like Blake Ahearn (who?) and Stephane Lasme running about the court. This is a team where Earl "Not the Pearl" Barron (or is it the Baron of Earl?) actually scored twenty points the other night. Miami has now compiled its FOURTH losing streak of seven games or more this season, and has averaged 77 points over its last six contests.
Chicago is out of the Eastern Conference playoff chase, which is really saying something, and "interim" coach Jim Boylan is six games away from finding out what that title really means. Miami is usually blown out rather matter-of-factly by the playoff-level teams, but sometimes at home they are able to make a game of it against the "C" teams (of which Chicago is now an unwilling member).
But how reliable is Miami, which has won just seven home games and was slapped around by Detroit on Sunday, even though it had cut the deficit to nine at one point? The Heat is on a 1-9 SU run at the AAA, ranks last in scoring at home, and must depend more and more on guys who were in the minor leagues at the season's outlet. Jason Williams is back and available for action, but Pat Riley wants to see what he has in the aforementioned Ahearn, as well as Chris Quinn, the Notre Dame grad who has averaged 16 points in his last eight games.
Chicago has owned this series, and has won the last two in Miami by a combined 43 points. Maybe they'll dominate again, and maybe they won't. But if they demonstrate some mastery, it'll serve to keep Miami's offensive numbers down. Hell, they don't even have to demonstrate any mastery to do that.
We're going to move with the total here, going UNDER the 185.5 points in the BetUS NBA basketball betting odds.
JAY'S PLAY: UNDER 185.5
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(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.com is a freelance writer and handicapper who not only can make his shots from the top of the key, but also contributes with gusto to the BetUS Locker Room)