The Miami Heat venture into their first postseason without Jimmy Butler since 2019 when they visit the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament.
But while “Playoff Jimmy” has gone West, “Playoff Bam” remains.
All-Star forward Bam Adebayo has stepped up in the playoffs throughout his career and filled the void left by Butler’s trade in February, upping his offensive production the past three months.
Adebayo leads his team into the Windy City and he’s the focus of my Heat vs. Bulls predictions and best NBA picks for April 16.
Heat vs Bulls prediction
Who will win?
The point spread is balancing on a pick’em and the outright odds give a slight lean to Chicago, with the Bulls boasting an implied win probability of 53.5%.
Chicago won all three meetings between these clubs and enter the Play-In Tournament with momentum, closing out the calendar with a 10-3 SU mark in its final 13 games. The Bulls defend home court with a win Wednesday.
My best bet: Bam Adebayo Over 19.5 points (-115 at bet365)
My analysis
Bam Adebayo has put in extra work in the points column since the Miami Heat shipped Jimmy Butler off in February. Even before the deal, when Butler was benched, Bam was picking up the slack on offense.
He’s averaging 21.2 points over his last 35 games and that span includes three meetings with the Chicago Bulls. In those contests, Adebayo posted point totals of 18, 22, and 23 while shooting a collective 49% from the floor in just over 36 minutes of work per outing.
A healthy chunk of those buckets came inside, with Adebayo averaging 9.3 points in the paint across that trio of tangles with Chicago. The Bulls defense has a notable soft spot in the interior, allowing opponents to shoot 55.6% from inside the arc and ranked dead last in PITP allowed in the league (54.0 PITP per game).
Shot mapping for those three games shows Adebayo very active in and around the key while also drawing contact. He attempted 17 free throws in those matchups, making 12 of those FTAs.
Wednesday’s player props give Adebayo a scoring total of 19.5 points – a bar he’s topped in five of his last six games to end the regular season. Bam doesn’t shrink in the postseason, either. He averaged 22.6 points through Miami’s five playoff games last year, all of which were played without Butler in the lineup.
Projections for Wednesday’s game range from 19.6 to closer to 21 points from Adebayo. My number comes out to just shy of 21 points from Bam against the Bulls.
Heat vs Bulls same-game parlay
Bam Adebayo 20+ Points
Tyler Herro 3+ 3-Pointers
Coby White 20+ Points
Bam comes up big against the Bulls. He’s scored 20-plus in five of his last six games.
Tyler Herro will be letting it fly from long range. Projections call for at least three triples from the Heat sharpshooter.
Coby White has been one of the hottest scorers since the calendar flipped to 2025. He’s pegged for at least 20 points in the Play-In Tournament.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Heat vs Bulls odds
Heat vs Bulls live odds
Heat vs Bulls opening odds
- Spread: Miami +1 (-110) | Chicago -1 (-110)
- Moneyline: Miami -105 | Chicago -115
- Over/Under: Over 219.5 (-110) | Under 219.5 (-110)
Odds courtesy of bet365.
Heat vs Bulls spread and Over/Under analysis
- Books opened Chicago as a 1.5-point home favorite and that spread slimmed to -1 with some early interest in Miami. The Bulls won and covered in all three meetings in the regular season.
- The Over/Under hit the board at 220 points and is down slightly to 219.5 O/U. Two of their three regular season finishes played Over the total.
- According to Covers Consensus, 61% of picks are laying the short spread with Chicago while 54% of total picks are siding with the Over.
Heat vs Bulls trend
The Chicago Bulls have covered the spread in 20 of their last 27 games (+12.30 Units/41% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Heat vs. Bulls.
How to watch Heat vs Bulls
| Location | United Center, Chicago, IL |
| Date | Wednesday, 4-16-2025 |
| Tip-off | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
Heat vs Bulls latest injuries
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