Jimmy Butler and the Chicago Bulls travel to Cleveland to take on LeBron James and the Cavaliers at the Quicken Loans Arena. Action starts at 8:00 pm ET on Thursday, Feb. 18 and can be seen on TNT and C+D.
The Cavaliers beat the Lakers 120-111 in their last matchup. Kyrie Irving was the game’s high scorer with 35 points on 15-for-24 shooting. The Bulls, meanwhile, are coming off a deflating 113-90 loss at the hands of the Hawks in their last outing. Chicago still lost despite the best efforts of Pau Gasol, who recorded his 30th double-double of the season with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Irving has been playing at a high level over the last five games for the Cavaliers. During that stretch, he has averaged 28.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.0 steal, and 2.4 three-pointers. Gasol has been hot for the Bulls. In the same five-game span, he is averaging 20.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.2 blocks, and 1.8 three-pointers.
From an effective field goal percentage perspective, this will be a matchup of two heavyweights. Cleveland’s sharp-shooting offense is ranked fifth in the league in that metric at 51.8%, while Chicago is third-best in the NBA at making opponents miss (47.4%).
The Bulls have emerged victorious in both matchups against the Cavaliers this year, including a 96-83 win the last time these two teams met. Gasol put up a double-double in the victory with 25 points and 10 rebounds.
The Cavaliers have gone 38-14 Straight Up (SU) and 23-27-2 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have only managed a record of 3-7 ATS. The Cavaliers, sporting the fifth-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the NBA (1.75), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team. Opposing teams know they’re in for a battle when they play Cleveland’s stingy defense. The Cavaliers are one of the top teams when it comes to defense, allowing just 96.9 points per game. Teams really have to fight for three-pointers against the Cavaliers, who have allowed only 7.0 three-pointers to opponents per game.
Over on the other bench, the Bulls have a record of 19-33 ATS and 27-25 SU. In divisional games, Chicago has gone 4-4 SU and 3-5 ATS. Chicago has been playing better lately, averaging 111.0 PPG, significantly more than their season average of 101.2.
Chicago beat Cleveland in their most recent meeting this season, bringing the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over the last 10 meetings. However, the Bulls hold the advantage ATS with a record of 7-3.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cle
Notes
“Cleveland is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games “.
“Cleveland is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 6 of Cleveland’s last 8 games “.
“Cleveland is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home”.
“Cleveland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home”.
“Cleveland is 7-17 ATS in its last 24 games when playing Chicago”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland’s last 5 games when playing Chicago”.
“Cleveland is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago”.
“Cleveland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Chicago”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland’s last 7 games when playing at home against Chicago”.
Cleveland is an even 4-4 SU against the division, while Chicago is 6-4 SU.
On average, Chicago scores 101.2 points per game (ranked 17th), while Cleveland allows 96.9 points per game (ranked fourth).
Chicago ranks eighth in points per away game with 102.8 points, while Cleveland ranks sixth in points allowed at home with 98.3.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have a winning record (21-6) when their opponents score fewer than 100 points this season. The Chicago Bulls are 10-13 when they don’t hit triple digits.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have a winning 17-8 record when their opponents score 100 or more points this season. The Chicago Bulls are 17-12 when they register triple digits.
The Cavaliers have the fourth-best offensive rating in the NBA (107.7). The Bulls are also in the top half of the league based on their defensive rating of 102.3 (ranked 12th).
Cleveland averages fewer possessions per game than Chicago, with 95.5 compared to 100.0. However, the Cavaliers score an average of 1.077 points per possession, more than the 1.012 that the Bulls score.
Cleveland is among the top-ranked teams based on its average effective field goal percentage of 51.8% (ranked fifth in the NBA). Chicago is an abysmal 1-11 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Cleveland Cavaliers make 22.3 assists per game and the Chicago Bulls make 21.9. Cleveland is ranked 12th, while Chicago is ranked 14th.
Chicago, the fifth-ranked team in terms of blocking, makes an average of 5.9 blocks per game. Cleveland ranks lower at 29th with 3.8.
Cleveland ranks in the top half of the NBA in offensive rebounding at ninth, while Chicago ranks near the top of the league (second) in defensive rebounding.
Chicago makes an average of 6.1 steals per game. Cleveland has a solid 27-11 record when it allows at least 6 steals.
