← Forecasts for Feb 1

2025-26 · Regular Season · Final

Chicago Bulls at Miami Heat

Sunday, February 1, 2026 · tip-off 6:00 PM ET

CHI 1–1@MIA 2–2 records going into the game NBA.com recap ↗

Win probability as a share of the court: CHI 36 percent, MIA 64 percent. CHI Bulls 36% proj. 117 · final 91 MIA Heat · home 64% proj. 122 · final 134
Each team's share of the floor is its pregame win probability. The line starts at midcourt and moves to the split.

Forecast and result

TeamProjectedFinalDifference
CHI Chicago Bulls 117 91 −26
MIA Miami Heat (home) 122 134 +12

Forecast: Miami Heat to win, 64% win probability, projected margin 5.

Inside the Forecast

How the inputs are built
What the model received
InputCHIMIA
Elo ratingMargin-of-victory Elo; 1500 is average. 14671503
Elo gap, home minus road, incl. home court +106
Season scoring marginPoints per game, blended with last season early in the year. −1.9+1.3
Games played this season 4950
Offensive rating, last 10Points scored per 100 possessions. 118.7114.0
Defensive rating, last 10Points allowed per 100 possessions; lower is better. 114.0114.7
Combined pace, last 10Possessions per game, both teams. 103.4
Rotation points missingPoints per game of rotation players listed Out or Doubtful. 45.426.6
Rest days 11
Second night of a back-to-back YesYes

This forecast can't be broken down exactly: the model version that made this forecast is not available. Explanations are shown only when the model that made a forecast can be rebuilt and reproduces it. How explanations are checked

Built from the box scores

How the breakdowns work

Where each input came from. Open a row to see the games and box-score stats behind it. A breakdown is shown only when rebuilding it from the stored stats gives exactly the number the model received.

Elo ratingCHI1467MIA1503

Updated after every game from the final score only: wins, losses and margin. Each season starts by keeping 75% of last season's distance from the 1500 average.

CHI1467

1500
  1. Ended last season at 1537 → started this one at 1528
  2. First 39 games: −103.3
  3. Last 10 games: +42.6
  • WUTA128–126+3.0
  • L@BKN109–112−5.4
  • WBKN124–102+10.8
  • WLAC138–110+25.1
  • W@MIN120–115+13.3
  • WBOS114–111+7.8
  • LLAL118–129−12.8
  • L@IND110–113−6.0
  • LMIA113–116−6.0
  • W@MIA125–118+12.8

MIA1503

1500
  1. Ended last season at 1462 → started this one at 1472
  2. First 40 games: +27.9
  3. Last 10 games: +3.7
  • LBOS114–119−5.8
  • WOKC122–120+8.0
  • L@GSW112–135−9.8
  • W@SAC130–117+11.0
  • L@POR110–127−10.7
  • W@UTA147–116+17.3
  • W@PHX111–102+15.4
  • LORL124–133−14.9
  • W@CHI116–113+6.0
  • LCHI118–125−12.8
Season scoring marginCHI−1.9MIA+1.3

Points scored minus points allowed per game this season, mixed with last season's margin until 20 games are played.

CHI−1.9

Scores 117.8, allows 119.7 over 49 games: −1.9 a game.

MIA+1.3

Scores 119.7, allows 118.4 over 50 games: +1.3 a game.

Offensive rating, last 10CHI118.7MIA114.0

Points scored per 100 possessions. Split into the four factors: right of center helps the team, left hurts, in points per 100 possessions compared with the league average (2025-26 to date: 114.6).

CHI118.7scored, +4.1 vs league

FactorCHILeaguehurtshelpsPts
Shooting (eFG%)59.3%54.4%+7.4
Turnovers (TOV%)11.7%12.2%+0.8
Offensive rebounding (OREB%)n/a26.2%–
Free throws (FTM per FGA)0.1660.211−1.3
Everything else−2.8

Offensive rebounds weren't recorded for 10 of these 10 games, so rebounding isn't split out; its effect is inside "Everything else".

MIA114.0scored, −0.5 vs league

FactorMIALeaguehurtshelpsPts
Shooting (eFG%)51.4%54.4%−4.6
Turnovers (TOV%)10.8%12.2%+2.0
Offensive rebounding (OREB%)n/a26.2%–
Free throws (FTM per FGA)0.2220.211+0.3
Everything else+1.7

Offensive rebounds weren't recorded for 10 of these 10 games, so rebounding isn't split out; its effect is inside "Everything else".

Defensive rating, last 10CHI114.0MIA114.7

Points allowed per 100 possessions, built from what opponents did in those games. Bars point right when the defense held opponents below average. Split into the four factors: right of center helps the team, left hurts, in points per 100 possessions compared with the league average (2025-26 to date: 114.6).

CHI114.0allowed, −0.6 vs league

FactorOpponentsLeaguehurtshelpsPts
Shooting (eFG%)54.8%54.4%−0.5
Turnovers (TOV%)10.5%12.2%−2.5
Offensive rebounding (OREB%)n/a26.2%–
Free throws (FTM per FGA)0.1920.211+0.6
Everything else+3.0

Offensive rebounds weren't recorded for 10 of these 10 games, so rebounding isn't split out; its effect is inside "Everything else".

MIA114.7allowed, +0.1 vs league

FactorOpponentsLeaguehurtshelpsPts
Shooting (eFG%)55.8%54.4%−2.0
Turnovers (TOV%)12.2%12.2%+0.0
Offensive rebounding (OREB%)n/a26.2%–
Free throws (FTM per FGA)0.1990.211+0.4
Everything else+1.6

Offensive rebounds weren't recorded for 10 of these 10 games, so rebounding isn't split out; its effect is inside "Everything else".

Pace, last 10average 103.4

Possessions per 48 minutes. The model uses the average of the two teams. Faster games mean more points for both sides, so pace mostly moves the projected total, not the margin.

CHI 101.3 and MIA 105.5 → average 103.4 (league 2025-26 to date: 100.4)

Rotation points missingCHI45.4MIA26.6

Points per game of rotation players (two or more of the last 10 games this season, 15+ minutes) listed Out or Doubtful on the official injury report.

CHI45.4pts/g missing

PlayerPtsMinGames
Josh Giddey13.526.64
Jalen Smith12.926.79
Tre Jones11.026.65
Kevin Huerter8.020.710

Source: official injury report, 2026-02-01 17:30 ET. 10 rotation players.

MIA26.6pts/g missing

PlayerPtsMinGames
Norman Powell19.830.19
Nikola Jović6.816.410

Source: official injury report, 2026-02-01 17:30 ET. 10 rotation players.

RestCHI1 daysMIA1 days

Days since the team's previous game, capped at 5. One day means the second night of a back-to-back.

CHI1day, back-to-back

Last played Jan 31 against MIA.

MIA1day, back-to-back

Last played Jan 31 against CHI.

The last 10 games behind these numbers, box-score totals

CHI

DateOppScoreFG3PFTTOVOREBOffDefPace
Jan 31@MIA125–11846-8820-4013-1823–109.6103.5114.0
Jan 29MIA113–11637-9415-3824-2915–104.6108.4107.5
Jan 28@IND110–11342-8812-3014-1811–113.4115.397.5
Jan 26LAL118–12943-8218-4914-1815–116.8127.7101.0
Jan 24BOS114–11143-8521-457-815–123.9120.792.0
Jan 22@MIN120–11538-8617-3927-3311–114.3110.6104.5
Jan 20LAC138–11052-9225-479-1212–132.7107.8103.0
Jan 18BKN124–10249-9420-466-97–134.8109.792.5
Jan 16@BKN109–11241-8611-3516-207–110.1114.398.5
Jan 14UTA128–12647-9217-4317-2113–126.7122.3102.0

MIA

DateOppScoreFG3PFTTOVOREBOffDefPace
Jan 31CHI118–12541-9513-4723-3119–103.5109.6114.0
Jan 29@CHI116–11342-9312-3620-2413–108.4104.6107.5
Jan 28ORL124–13344-8815-3421-2318–115.9123.1107.5
Jan 25@PHX111–10239-939-3524-2910–108.8101.0101.5
Jan 24@UTA147–11647-10819-4734-4213–132.4104.5111.0
Jan 22@POR110–12743-949-4515-1915–105.8123.3103.5
Jan 20@SAC130–11747-9821-4215-2410–122.6111.4105.5
Jan 19@GSW112–13539-9913-4521-2419–104.7126.2107.0
Jan 17OKC122–12041-11120-5020-284–120.8118.8101.0
Jan 15BOS114–11939-8715-4221-2710–117.5124.096.5

Off and Def are points scored and allowed per 100 possessions in each game; their averages are the 10-game ratings above. OREB is missing (–) where the source data didn't record it.

The result against the forecast

2025-26 surprise games
64%
pregame chance the forecast gave MIA, the winner
MIA was the forecast favorite
38 pts
margin miss
forecast +5, actual +43 for MIA
783rd
most surprising result of 2025-26
of 1,309 graded games
14th
largest margin miss of 2025-26
outcome surprise 0.45 nats

Surprise is measured against this model's forecast, not against what other observers expected. Outcome surprise is −ln(winner's pregame probability): 0.69 for a coin flip, 2.3 for a 10% winner.

Team box score

What happened in the game. These numbers are not used by the forecast, and they are not offered as the reason it missed.

Team statCHIMIA
Final score91134
Field goals28–87 · 32.2%54–107 · 50.5%
Three-pointers6–41 · 14.6%14–38 · 36.8%
Free throws29–34 · 85.3%12–17 · 70.6%
Rebounds4754
Assists1844
Turnovers188
Steals58
Blocks65

Where the forecast differed from the result

MeasureForecastActualActual − forecast
Home margin (MIA)+5+43+38
Total points239225−14
CHI points11791−26
MIA points122134+12

Recent form before this game

Chicago Bulls

DateOpponentResult
Jan 31 at MIA W 125–118
Jan 29 vs MIA L 113–116
Jan 28 at IND L 110–113
Jan 26 vs LAL L 118–129
Jan 24 vs BOS W 114–111

Miami Heat

DateOpponentResult
Jan 31 vs CHI L 118–125
Jan 29 at CHI W 116–113
Jan 28 vs ORL L 124–133
Jan 25 at PHX W 111–102
Jan 24 at UTA W 147–116

Previous meetings

DateMatchupScore
Jan 31 2025-26 CHI at MIA CHI 125 – 118 MIA
Jan 29 2025-26 MIA at CHI MIA 116 – 113 CHI
Nov 21 2025-26 MIA at CHI MIA 143 – 107 CHI
Apr 9 2024-25 MIA at CHI MIA 111 – 119 CHI
Mar 8 2024-25 CHI at MIA CHI 114 – 109 MIA