NBA Odds: Bulls (even)
The Chicago Bulls host a showdown against the Los Angeles Clippers at the United Center. Action begins at 1:00 pm ET on Sunday, Mar. 1 and can be seen on ABC.
The Bulls played well in their last game, topping the Timberwolves 96-89 on Friday. Jimmy Butler played a pivotal role, recording his fourth double-double of the season with 28 points and 12 rebounds. The Clippers, meanwhile, are coming off a 97-79 win against the Grizzlies on Friday. DeAndre Jordan claimed his 31st double-double of the season with 15 points and 22 rebounds.
Jordan and Jamal Crawford have upped their production over the last five games for the Clippers. Jordan has averaged 16.6 points, 18.2 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 1.4 steals, and 2.0 blocks during that stretch, while Crawford has put up 21.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.8 three-pointers.
The physical Bulls offense might be getting to the charity stripe a lot in this one. They rank third in the league at getting to the line (free throw attempt rate of 30.8), while Los Angeles is among the NBA’s most foul-prone teams (giving up a 27th-ranked free throw attempt rate of 31.2). Also, the sharp-shooting offense of the Clippers ranks second in effective field goal percentage at 53.1%, while the Bulls are third-best in the league at forcing opponents’ misses (47.6%).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Bulls winning the first matchup 105-89. Taj Gibson had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 20 points, five rebounds, six assists, one steal, and two blocks.
The odds for Chicago and Los Angeles are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Bulls have gone 37-22 Straight Up (SU) and 27-32 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 16-9 SU and 12-13 ATS against the Western Conference. The Bulls are one of the best in the NBA in terms of free throws made, making an impressive 20.1 per game.
In the other locker room, the Clippers have 37-21-1 SU and 24-34 ATS records. Against the Eastern Conference, Los Angeles is 13-11 SU and 9-15 ATS. Offensively, they average 105.9 points per game on the road, which is third in the league. The Clippers are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, leading the NBA at 2.1.
The Bulls’ win over Los Angeles in their last game wasn’t enough for them to overtake the Clippers in the recent head-to-head series. Their record is now 3-7 SU over the most recent 10 meetings. The Clippers also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-3. Over the last 10 matchups, Chicago held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers twice. Los Angeles performed this feat once.
Predictions: SU Winner – CHI, ATS Winner – CHI
Notes
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Chicago’s last 11 games.
Chicago is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chicago’s last 8 games at home.
Chicago is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home.
Chicago is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Clippers.
Chicago is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games when playing LA Clippers.
Chicago is 1-8 SU in their last 9 games when playing at home against LA Clippers.
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Chicago’s last 11 games when playing at home against LA Clippers.
The Los Angeles Clippers are among the highest-scoring squads, earning an average of 106.8 points per game (ranked second), while the Chicago Bulls are in the top half of NBA teams in points allowed with 98.6 (ranked 11th).
Los Angeles puts up an average of 105.9 points per away game (ranked third). Chicago ranks 20th in points allowed per home game with 99.6.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Bulls are 25-7 on the season. When the Clippers score fewer than 100, they are a poor 4-10.
When the Chicago Bulls allow at least 100 points they are 12-15, while the Los Angeles Clippers are 34-11 when they register triple digits.
The Clippers have a defensive rating of 103.4 (ranked 16th). The Bulls rank ninth for their offensive rating of 104.8.
Los Angeles beats Chicago in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Clippers average 97.2 possessions and 1.098 points per possession, while the Bulls average 96.8 possessions with 1.048 points per possession.
The Los Angeles Clippers have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking second in the league with an EFF% of 53.1%. When their opponents record a similar or higher EFF%, the Chicago Bulls have an underachieving 3-8 record.
Los Angeles ranks near the top of the league in assists at fourth (24.4 assists per game). Chicago is ranked 14th, with 21.7 assists per game.
The Chicago Bulls top the league in blocking, with 6.4 made per game. The Los Angeles Clippers average 4.9 blocks per game (ranked 11th).
The Chicago Bulls are among the best offensive rebounding teams in the league (ranked fifth). The Los Angeles Clippers are in the top half of NBA teams in defensive rebounding (ranked 11th).
The Los Angeles Clippers make an average of 7.8 steals per game. When the Chicago Bulls allow 7 or more steals, they are a winning 25-13.
