It will be a battle of division foes when the Chicago Bulls (45-30) welcome the Detroit Pistons (29-46) to the United Center. The game starts at 8:00 pm ET on Friday, Apr. 3 and will air on WGN.
The Bulls lost to the Bucks 95-91 on Wednesday. Jimmy Butler was the game’s high scorer, contributing 25. The Pistons, meanwhile, are coming off an ugly 102-78 loss at the hands of the Hornets on Wednesday. Joel Anthony recorded six points, seven rebounds, and four blocks.
Over the last five games, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson have been hot for the Pistons. During that stretch, Drummond has averaged 20.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks. Not to be outdone, Jackson has put up 21.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 9.4 assists, and 1.8 three-pointers.
The Pistons have won two out of three against the Bulls this season, including a 107-91 victory in their last matchup. In the loss, Pau Gasol had a double-double with 27 points and 10 rebounds.
The odds are even for this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable at the moment. The Bulls enter the game with records of 45-30 Straight Up (SU) and 35-40 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 7-7 SU and 6-8 ATS against teams from their own division. The Bulls are an impressive shooting team from the line with a .785 free throw percentage, one of the highest marks in the NBA. Turning to the defensive side, teams really have to fight for open three-pointers against the Bulls, who have one of the best opponent three-point field goal percentages in the league at .336. The Bulls are the fifth-best team in the league at blocking shots, averaging 5.9 blocks per game.
Across the court, the Pistons head into the game with records of 37-38 ATS and 29-46 SU. Most recently, Detroit is 7-3 ATS over the last 10 games. Detroit is the best offensive rebounding teams in the NBA. The Pistons average a league-leading 13.0 offensive rebounds per game. Don’t expect Detroit to give away the ball much on offense, where its 12.5 turnovers per game ranks fifth in the league.
Following the Pistons’ latest win over Chicago, Detroit is still behind in the head-to-head record over the past 10 meetings, 4-6 SU. However, the Pistons lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-3. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, Chicago and Detroit each held the edge in all three of these categories twice in the last 10 meetings.
Predictions: SU Winner – CHI, ATS Winner – CHI
Notes
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Chicago’s last 12 games.
Chicago is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games.
Chicago is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago’s last 7 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago’s last 5 games when playing Detroit.
Chicago is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games when playing Detroit.
Chicago is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Detroit.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chicago’s last 9 games when playing at home against Detroit.
Chicago is 14-1 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Detroit.
Chicago is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit.
Chicago is an even 7-7 SU against the division, while Detroit is 6-7 SU.
On average, Detroit puts up 98.2 points per game (ranked 20th), while Chicago gives up 98.4 points per game (ranked 11th).
Detroit scores an average of 95.7 points per away game (ranked 23rd), while Chicago allows 98.1 points per home game (ranked 14th).
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Chicago Bulls are a stellar 31-10. In games where they fail to hit triple digits, the Detroit Pistons have a subpar record of 8-33.
Chicago is 14-20 when allowing 100 or more points this season. The Pistons have a solid 21-13 record when they hit the century mark.
The Pistons have a defensive rating of 103.6 (ranked 20th). The Bulls rank 10th for their offensive rating of 104.6.
The Chicago Bulls average 96.5 possessions and 1.046 points per possession in games this season. The Detroit Pistons average fewer possessions with 96.3, as well as fewer points per possession with 1.020.
Chicago has an average effective field goal percentage of 49.0%. Detroit is a subpar 13-34 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Chicago makes an average of 21.8 assists per game (ranked 13th), while Detroit makes 21.5 assists per game (ranked 17th).
Chicago ranks near the top of the league in blocking at fifth (5.9 blocks per game). Detroit is ranked 15th, with 4.6 blocks per game.
Chicago is ranked eighth in offensive rebounding. Detroit ranks 15th in defensive rebounds.
The Detroit Pistons make an average of 7.6 steals per game. When the Chicago Bulls allow 7 or more steals, they are a winning 29-18.
