The Portland Trail Blazers (28-22) will attempt to prolong their seven-game home winning streak in a matchup against the Chicago Bulls (18-32) at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. The game starts at 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 31, 2018, and will air on NBC Sports Chicago.
Portland opened as a 7-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 214 points.
Chicago Bulls at Portland Trail Blazers Betting Prediction
The Bulls are trying to rebound after their 110-96 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in their last game. One of Milwaukee’s largest strengths was getting to the free throw line. They made 25 trips to the line, while Chicago went 15 times. Lauri Markkanen put together a solid performance for Chicago, recording 17 points and 10 rebounds.
The last time the Trail Blazers played, they beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 104-96. Portland out-rebounded Los Angeles. The Trail Blazers had more offensive rebounds (18 vs. nine) and total rebounds (59 vs. 50). Damian Lillard was the game’s leading scorer with 28 points on 6-for-14 shooting.
Looking at effective field goal percentage, Portland should have a considerable advantage. The Trail Blazers defense ranks fifth in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.502), while the Chicago offense is ranked 28th in effective field goal percentage (0.502).
Although Chicago has trouble winning games straight up (18-32 SU), they have a respectable 28-19-3 record against the spread (ATS). Of the Bulls’ 50 games, 27 have finished over the O/U total.
Meanwhile, Portland owns records of 28-22 SU and 23-21-5 ATS. Games featuring the Trail Blazers have a tendency to finish under the total (59.2 percent).
Ed Davis has averaged 10.2 rebounds, 9.8 points and 1.2 blocks over the last five games for Portland.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams. CJ McCollum scored a game-high 32 points in the first matchup, in which the Trail Blazers, who were 3-point underdogs, beat the Bulls 124-120. He also put up eight assists and six rebounds. The game finished with a total of 244 points, which was 42.5 points above the projected point total of 201.5 points. The Trail Blazers’ turnover percentage was their biggest advantage over the Bulls. Portland had a rate of 6.5, while Chicago posted a mark of 9.5.
Chicago Bulls at Portland Trail Blazers Betting Pick
Free Prediction: SU Winner – Trail Blazers, ATS Winner – Trail Blazers, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Chicago is 15-9-1 ATS with 16 overs and 9 unders.
Portland is 9-12-3 ATS at home with 15 unders and 9 overs.
In games where they allow below 100 points, Chicago is 6-5 and Portland is 17-4.
When scoring more than 100 points, the Bulls are 16-15 and the Trail Blazers are 23-12.
Portland ranks first in assists allowed per game (19.8) while Chicago ranks 28th (25.3).
The Trail Blazers rank fourth in three pointers allowed per game (25.8) while the Bulls rank 28th (31.2).
Portland ranks eighth in blocks per game (5.2) while Chicago ranks 29th (3.7).
The Trail Blazers average 44.8 rebounds per game, which ranks eighth in the NBA. The Bulls rank 29th in rebounds allowed per game (45.8).
Portland ranks 12th in second chance points per game (12.8) while Chicago ranks 26th (10.3).
The Bulls rank 15th in fast break points per game (10.9) while the Trail Blazers rank 28th (6.6).
Portland ranks 22nd in points in the paint per game (41.9) while Chicago ranks 26th (41.2).
The Bulls rank 23rd in steals per game (7.1) while the Trail Blazers rank 26th (6.9).
Portland ranks 26th in points off turnovers per game (14.7) while Chicago ranks 27th (14.3).
Betting Trends:
In their last five games, Chicago is 2-3 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
Portland is 4-0-1 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Bulls’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 4.2, down from 5.5 for the season.
During their last five games, the Trail Blazers have scored an average of 110.4 points per game (5.8 above their season average) and allowed an average of 103.0 points per game (0.0 above their season average).
