BEST LINE: Bet365 +5½ -110 

The Wizards led most of the first half in Game 1. They subsequently fell behind by 12 points early in the third before rallying for a victory. Aside from a small window between the end of the first half and the start of the second half, the Wizards gave the Bulls nothing but difficulty. Washington's starting five played well with Nené back in the lineup at power forward. Andre Miller offered key production from the bench and the Bulls struggled to score late in the game. The Wizards are now 3-1 against Chicago this season, suggesting this matchup might be trouble for the Bulls. John Wall and Bradley Beal played hard but both were cold from the floor, going a combined 7-25 from the field and 0-3 from deep. That’s not going to happen again, yet the Wiz were still able to defeat Chicago. Now Washington is being offered 5½ big points in a game in which the posted total is in the low 180’s.

One game means nothing. It’s a seven game series and the Bulls are known for slugfest series. There will be nights when Chicago will look like a legitimate threat to Miami. There will also be nights when Tom Thibodeau's bunch looks like it doesn't belong in the playoffs, largely because of its offense. The Wizards are equally prone to uneven performances but this series is just so damn even that the points being offered to any team are too good to pass up on. In addition, the Wizards are deeper and should foul trouble become an issue, the points being offered will have even more appeal. Expect close games and a close series throughout with 5½ points being just a little too much in a game the Wizards have a very good chance of winning outright.