The Eastern Conference’s top team will be on the road when the Cleveland Cavaliers (56-23) head to the United Center to play the Chicago Bulls (39-40). Action begins at 8:30 pm ET on Saturday, Apr. 9 and can be seen on ABC.
The Bulls are hoping for a better outcome after their 106-98 loss to the Heat on Thursday. Despite the loss, Pau Gasol earned his 45th double-double this season with 21 points and 12 rebounds. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 123-109 loss against the Pacers on Wednesday. Kyrie Irving had a team-high 26 points.
LeBron James has upped his play over the last five games for the Cavaliers, averaging 25.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 10.2 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 0.5 three-pointers.
In terms of effective field goal percentage, this game will match strength against strength when the Cavaliers have possession. Their sharp-shooting offense is ranked fourth in the league in that metric at 52.4%, while Chicago is fifth-best in the NBA in effective field goal percentage defense (48.3%).
The Bulls lead the season series against the Cavaliers two games to one, but fell short in their most recent game, 106-95. James had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 25 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, and one block.
The Bulls have gone 39-40 Straight Up (SU) and 33-46 Against The Spread (ATS). They have been able to pull off wins at home against opponents within their division, going 5-2 SU, but only have a record of 1-6 ATS. The Bulls have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 108.6 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 101.2 points per game.
As for their opponent, the Cavaliers have a record of 36-41-2 ATS and 56-23 SU. Against fellow division members, Cleveland has a 9-6 SU and a 7-8 ATS record. The Cavaliers allow just 98.1 points per game, ranking them third in the league.
In their previous meeting this season, Cleveland beat Chicago, bumping its SU record over the last 10 meetings to 6-4. The Bulls lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-3.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cle
Notes
“Chicago is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago’s last 5 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago’s last 5 games at home”.
“Chicago is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Cleveland”.
“Chicago is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Cleveland”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago’s last 6 games when playing Cleveland”.
“Chicago is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Cleveland”.
Chicago ranks 21st in points per game with 101.2, while Cleveland ranks third in points allowed with an average of 98.1 given up.
On average, Chicago scores 101.4 points per home game (ranked 23rd), while Cleveland gives up 98.1 points per away game (ranked second).
Chicago has a tremendous 24-4 record when it gives up under 100 points this season. Cleveland is 12-16 when it puts up under 100.
The Chicago Bulls have a losing 15-36 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 44-7 when they hit triple digits.
The Bulls have an offensive rating of 102.1 (ranked 26th). The Cavaliers rank 10th for their defensive rating of 102.7.
The Chicago Bulls average 99.1 possessions per game and 1.021 points per possession, while the Cleveland Cavaliers earn fewer possessions (95.7) but more points per possession (1.089).
The Cleveland Cavaliers have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking fourth in the league with an EFF% of 52.4%. When their opponents record a similar or higher EFF%, the Chicago Bulls have an abysmal 1-16 record.
On average, the Cleveland Cavaliers make 22.8 assists per game and the Chicago Bulls make 22.7. Cleveland is ranked 11th, while Chicago is ranked 13th.
Chicago makes an average of 5.7 blocks per game (ranked eighth), while Cleveland makes 3.8 blocks per game (ranked 27th).
Chicago is ranked eighth in offensive rebounding. Cleveland ranks 10th in defensive rebounds.
The Chicago Bulls make an average of 6.0 steals per game. When the Cleveland Cavaliers allow 6 or more steals, they are a winning 40-19.
