2025 NBA Play-In Tournament Best Bets: Can Chicago Make it 4 in a Row Against Miami?
-
Spread Astaire
- April 16, 2025
Top NBA Pick: Chicago Bulls -1 (-108) at Bookmaker (visit our Bookmaker Review)
The NBA play-in tournament continues tonight. Two teams will advance to play on Friday night with the chance at the 8th seed in the NBA playoffs, and two teams will head home to think about next season. With everything on the line, who should you back to make winning NBA picks?
Let’s analyze the NBA odds to help guide your picks before you place your bets at top sportsbooks.
Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls
Wednesday, April 16, 2025 – 07:30 PM EDT at United Center
Can the Heat Finally Punch Back?
The Miami Heat have to be disappointed with their results this season, while for the Chicago Bulls, 9th place is about par for the course. However, being in the play-in tournament means both teams have an opportunity to go on a run and turn their feelings about this season around. To do so, it will take a resounding victory tonight.
These two teams squared off last Wednesday in Chicago, and the Bulls were able to win by eight points.
In that game, Josh Giddey had a triple double with 28 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists. The Heat were not able to get the stops against the prolific offense of the Bulls. The Bulls have won all three games against the Heat so far this season.
The Heat hope to have a better performance from Andrew Wiggins, who only scored 14 points in their most recent matchup. Wiggins is fighting a hamstring injury, and might not be 100% for this game.
This game pits the sixth rated offense of the Bulls against the 7th rated defense of the Miami Heat. The Bulls average 117.8 points per game while the Heat only allow 110 points per game. While the Bulls are a high scoring team, they are also bad defensively with an average 119.4 points allowed. The Bulls will need a strong defensive effort tonight in order to beat the Heat for the fourth time this season.
Bulls Offense Looks Ready to Roll Again
The key matchup in this game will be Heat center Bam Adebayo against Bulls center Nikola Vucevic. Both players lead their team in rebounding, and the Heat will need Adebayo to keep Vucevic in check. If Adebayo is not able to slow down the scoring of the Bulls’ center, the Bulls have too many offensive options. The Heat will need to take at least one player away, and Vucevic is the most likely.
In the end, I think the Chicago Bulls get things done. The Bulls have had success against the Heat so far this season, and there is no reason to think that this will change. The Bulls simply have too much on offense.
If this were a longer series, you could favor the Heat with the coaching advantage, but in a one game, winner-take-all format, even the excellent coaching mind of Heat coach Erik Spoelstra will not be enough for Miami. The Heat season will be over, and they’ll be going back to the drawing board. Take the Chicago Bulls.
NBA Pick: Chicago Bulls -1 (-108) at Bookmaker
Dallas Mavericks vs. Sacramento Kings
Wednesday, April 16, 2025 – 10:00 PM EDT at Golden 1 Center
Luka’s Gone, and So Are the Playoff Hopes
These two teams would probably be in far better situations if they recognized how good a player Luka Doncic is. Kings fans have never recovered from passing on Luka in the 2018 draft for the completely irrelevant Marvin Bagley. The Mavericks recently sent Luka away after he led them to the NBA Finals last year.
The Mavericks received Anthony Davis in return, but are quickly learning why Davis only can help your team as the second option. Davis does not have the mental makeup to be the number one player on a championship team. It will probably take the Mavericks years to recover from this flaw, and there is no hope in the Kings ever being a good organization.
While in the Heat vs Bulls game, I would expect the winner to have a chance to win on Friday, these teams are basically playing for the right to be eliminated on Friday night. I don’t think either team can make the playoffs.
However, both teams will be fighting hard, and this should be a fun game. Kings forward Domantas Sabonis has had success against Anthony Davis in his career, and I would expect that to continue tonight. The Mavericks will have the huge size advantage in this game, however, the Kings have much better guard play.
Kings Got Buckets, Mavs Got Problems
The Kings have multiple players who can get a bucket in the half court situation, while the Mavericks will be over reliant on Anthony Davis and Spencer Dinwiddie. The Kings’ firepower should be too much for the Mavericks to overcome. However, Anthony Davis can easily become the best player on the floor, and the Kings are not known for their defense.
I like the Kings to mercifully end the Mavericks season. The Mavericks went from being one of the most exciting franchises in the NBA to a rudderless franchise that does not have leadership. The multiple options the Kings have on offense will be too much for the Mavericks. Although I think they’re going to have problems on Friday, the Kings will win tonight. Take the Sacramento Kings.
NBA Pick: Sacramento Kings -4.5 (-108) at Bookmaker
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
