It will be a battle between Central Division opponents when the Detroit Pistons (32-40) welcome the Chicago Bulls (24-48) to Little Caesars Arena. The game starts at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 24, 2018, and will air on Fox Sports Detroit Plus.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 210 points with Detroit set as an 11-point favorite.
Chicago Bulls vs. Detroit Pistons Free Prediction
The last time the Bulls played, they were topped by the Milwaukee Bucks, 118-105. Milwaukee’s 5.0 turnover percentage was their largest strength over Chicago, who had a rate of 12.6. The Bucks’ mark was better than their season average of 12.5. Cristiano Felicio had a solid game for Chicago, contributing 11 points and 11 rebounds.
The Pistons fell to the Houston Rockets in their last matchup, 100-96. One of Houston’s largest advantages was getting to the charity stripe. They made 28 trips to the line, while Detroit went 19 times. Despite the loss, Detroit’s Blake Griffin finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. This gave him his second triple-double of the season.
Chicago could struggle to create turnovers. Detroit ranks ninth in the NBA at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 13.3 percent), while Chicago forces the third-fewest turnovers (12.7 percent).
Chicago comes into the game with records of 24-48 straight up (SU) and 36-32-3 against the spread (ATS). Games involving the Bulls have a slight tendency to finish over the O/U total (53.5 percent).
Meanwhile, Detroit is 32-40 SU and 33-37-2 ATS. Vegas has a tendency to set the total high when the Pistons are involved, as 56.9 percent of their games have gone under the total.
Both teams have had a player step their game up over their last five games. Bobby Portis (16.4 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals) has been great for the Bulls while Griffin (21.2 points, 7.0 assists and 6.4 rebounds) has contributed greatly to the Pistons.
Both teams have won a game in the season series. The Pistons won the most recent matchup 99-83, covering as 8-point favorites. The game finished with a total of 182 points, which was 32 points below the projected point total of 214 points. The Pistons made 14 of their 18 free throws (77.8 percent) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.525 vs. 0.403). Griffin scored a game-high 25 points.
Chicago Bulls at Detroit Pistons ATS Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Pistons, ATS Winner – Pistons, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Chicago is 17-17-1 ATS with 21 overs and 14 unders.
Detroit is 15-19-1 ATS at home with 18 unders, 16 overs and 1 push.
Detroit is 18-6 when they hold opponents under 100 points, while Chicago is 6-6.
The Pistons are 28-17 when they score above 100 points, while the Bulls are 22-24.
Chicago averages 23.6 assists per game, which ranks ninth in the league. Detroit ranks 27th in assists allowed per game (24.8).
The Pistons rank 12th in points off turnovers per game (16.8) while the Bulls rank 27th (14.7).
Chicago ranks ninth in three pointers attempted per game (30.8) while Detroit ranks 23rd in three pointers allowed per game (30.4).
The Pistons rank first in fast break points allowed per game (9.6) while the Bulls rank 13th (11.5).
Chicago ranks seventh in rebounds per game (44.7) while Detroit ranks 19th in rebounds allowed per game (43.8).
The Bulls rank third in steals allowed per game (7.0) while the Pistons rank 10th (7.3).
Detroit ranks 19th in points in the paint per game (43.7) while Chicago ranks 26th (41.8).
The Pistons rank 27th in blocks per game (3.9) while the Bulls rank 29th (3.6).
Chicago ranks fifth in second chance points allowed per game (11.4) while Detroit ranks seventh (11.4).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Chicago is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
Detroit is 4-1 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over over their last five games.
The Bulls’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 13.6, up from 6.5 for the season.
During their last five games, the Pistons have scored an average of 103.4 points per game (0.6 above their season average) and allowed an average of 99.6 points per game (4.2 below their season average).
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