Central Division foes will lock horns when the Indiana Pacers (39-34) face the Chicago Bulls (36-37) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Mar. 29 and can be seen on CSC and FxI.
The Pacers enter this game hoping for similar success after edging the Rockets 104-101 on Sunday. Monta Ellis played a pivotal role with 23 points, seven assists, and six rebounds. The Bulls, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their close 102-100 loss against the Hawks on Monday. Aaron Brooks played well for Chicago, recording 16 points, six assists, and four rebounds.
The ineffective offense of the Bulls (26th in the league with an offensive efficiency of 102.0) will attempt to infiltrate the elite defense of the Pacers (third in the NBA with a defensive efficiency of 100.5). The matchup on that end of the floor seems to lean toward Indiana.
The Bulls lead the season series against the Pacers two games to one, escaping with a narrow 102-100 victory the last time these teams met. Jimmy Butler had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 28 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals, one block, and one three-pointer.
The Pacers come into this game 39-34 Straight Up (SU) and 37-36 Against The Spread (ATS). They have been able to pull off wins at home against opponents within their division, going 5-1 SU, but only have a record of 2-4 ATS. Indiana’s defenders rank fourth in the NBA in steals with 9.1 per game. Indiana is one of the league’s top scoring teams off turnovers with an average of 19.1 points per game.
In the other locker room, the Bulls have 36-37 SU and 30-43 ATS records. Despite having a losing record against its own division, Chicago is successful ATS in those games with a record of 6-1. Defensive rebounding is an area where Chicago has excelled. The Bulls average 33.7 defensive rebounds per game, making them one of the best in the league.
Chicago beat Indiana in their most recent meeting this season, bumping its SU record over the last 10 meetings to 6-4. The Pacers lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-3.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ind
Notes
“Indiana is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Indiana’s last 8 games “.
“Indiana is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games at home”.
“Indiana is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Indiana’s last 7 games at home”.
“Indiana is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Chicago”.
“Indiana is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Chicago”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Indiana’s last 22 games when playing Chicago”.
“Indiana is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago”.
“Indiana is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Chicago”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana’s last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago”.
Indiana is 6-7 against its divisional rivals, while Chicago is 7-5 against its division.
On average, Chicago scores 101.5 points per game (ranked 20th), while Indiana allows 100.4 points per game (ranked seventh).
Chicago puts up an average of 101.3 points per away game (ranked 14th), while Indiana gives up 98.2 points per home game (ranked sixth).
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Pacers are 29-5 on the season. When the Bulls score fewer than 100, they are a losing 11-21.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Pacers are just 10-29 this season. Chicago is a winning 25-16 when it hits the century mark.
The Pacers have an offensive rating of 102.3 (ranked 24th). The Bulls rank 13th for their defensive rating of 104.1.
Indiana averages fewer possessions per game than Chicago, with 99.5 compared to 99.6. However, the Pacers score an average of 1.023 points per possession, more than the 1.020 that the Bulls score.
Indiana has an average effective field goal percentage of 49.3%. Chicago is an abysmal 6-20 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Chicago Bulls make 22.7 assists per game and the Indiana Pacers make 20.9. Chicago is ranked 12th, while Indiana is ranked 24th.
Indiana makes an average of 4.9 blocks per game (ranked 16th). Chicago ranks higher in blocks with 5.6 (ranked eighth).
Indiana is ranked 17th when it comes to offensive rebounding. Chicago ranks second in defensive rebounds.
The Pacers record 9.1 steals per game on average (ranked fourth). The Bulls are 12-15 when allowing at least 9 steals.
