The Chicago Bulls host a showdown against the Memphis Grizzlies at the United Center. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Monday, Mar. 9 and can be seen on NBATV, SPSO and CSN-CHI.
The Bulls are are hoping for a better outcome after their 98-84 loss to the Pacers on Friday. Joakim Noah had a solid performance, recording four points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds for Chicago. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after the 95-89 loss against the Pelicans on Saturday. Mike Conley had a good game for Memphis, registering 17 points, four rebounds, and three assists.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Bulls winning the first matchup 103-97. Jimmy Butler put up a double-double in the victory with 31 points and 10 rebounds.
The odds for Chicago and Memphis are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. The Bulls have gone 39-24 Straight Up (SU) and 29-34 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 17-10 SU and 13-14 ATS against the Western Conference. The Bulls are one of the best in the NBA in terms of free throw percentage, shooting an impressive .785 from the free throw line. Crossing over to the defensive side of the court, the Bulls prevent teams from making three-pointers on the defensive end, ranking second in the league with 383 total three-pointers allowed (6.1 per game). Opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Bulls, leading the league in blocks per game with 6.2.
Over on the other bench, the Grizzlies have 44-18 SU and 29-31-2 ATS records. Memphis has not performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 3-7 record. Offensively, the Grizzlies have really sputtered in the last 10 games. They have decreased their season average of 99.3 points per game by averaging 91.7 during that stretch. The Grizzlies convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking fifth in the league at .774. Moving on to Memphis’s defense, The Grizzlies allow just 95.6 points per game, ranking them first in the league.
With the Bulls’ last win against Memphis, they evened up the head-to-head record over the last 10 meetings, 5-5 SU. They are also even ATS in their last 10 games. In these last 10 matchups, Memphis held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers four times, with Chicago controlling all three of these areas once.
Predictions: SU Winner – CHI, ATS Winner – CHI
Notes
Chicago ranks 10th in the league with 102.2 points per home game. Memphis allows just 96.7 points per away game (ranked fourth).
When giving up under 100 points, Chicago has a winning record of 26-9 this season. Memphis has an even record of 16-16 when it scores fewer than 100 points.
Chicago is 13-15 when allowing 100 or more points this season. The Grizzlies have a stellar 28-2 record when they hit the century mark.
The Grizzlies have a defensive rating of 99.7, fifth-best in the NBA. The Bulls also rank in the top half of the league for their offensive rating of 104.4 (ranked ninth).
The Chicago Bulls average 96.7 possessions and 1.044 points per possession in games this season. The Memphis Grizzlies average fewer possessions with 95.9, as well as fewer points per possession with 1.036.
Chicago has an average effective field goal percentage of 48.5%. Memphis is a solid 24-15 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
The Chicago Bulls attempt 21.8 three pointers per game, and the Memphis Grizzlies attempt 15.2 per game on average. When attempting at least 25 three pointers this season, Chicago is 10-11 and Memphis is a perfect 2-0.
The Chicago Bulls rank 14th with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.63. The Memphis Grizzlies have a higher A/TO (1.73), ranking eighth.
Chicago ranks near the top of the NBA for rebounds at second (46.0 per game), while Memphis ranks 19th with 42.8 per game.
The Memphis Grizzlies rank 22nd in offensive rebounding, while the Chicago Bulls rank seventh in defensive rebounding.
Though Memphis is one of the best in the league in forcing turnovers with opponents averaging a TOV% of 15.3% (ranked seventh), Chicago has a tremendous 15-5 record SU when it has a TOV% of 15.3% or greater.
