The Chicago Bulls (27-54) and Detroit Pistons (38-43) begin Eastern Conference play at United Center. The game starts at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, and will air on Fox Sports – Detroit.
Detroit opened as a 1.5-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 211.5 points.
Detroit Pistons at Chicago Bulls ATS Prediction
The Pistons are hoping for a better outcome after their 108-98 loss to the Toronto Raptors in their last outing. Toronto’s offensive rebounding percentage was their largest advantage over Detroit. The Raptors had a rate of 21.6 (below their season average of 23.1), while the Pistons posted a mark of 9.1 (below their season average of 22.9). Reggie Jackson put together a solid outing for Detroit, putting up 16 points and nine assists.
The last time the Bulls played, they fell to the Brooklyn Nets, 114-105. Converting at the free throw line was one of Brooklyn’s largest advantages. They were 14-15 (93.3 percent), while the Bulls were just 7-12 (58.3 percent). With 11 points and 10 rebounds, David Nwaba put together a good performance for Chicago.
Getting to the line could be scarce for Chicago in this showdown. The Bulls rank 29th in the league with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.164, while Detroit ranks fifth in FTA rate allowed (0.172). Ball protection should be an advantage for the Pistons. They rank 5th at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 13.0 percent). Conversely, the Bulls force the fifth-fewest turnovers in the league (opponents’ turnover percentage of 13.0 percent).
Detroit comes into the game with records of 38-43 straight up (SU) and 38-40-3 against the spread (ATS). Games featuring the Pistons have finished under the total 54.3 percent of the time.
Meanwhile, Chicago owns records of 27-54 SU and 40-37-4 ATS. Contrary to Detroit, Bulls games have a slight tendency to finish over the total (54.3 percent).
Both teams have had a player take their game to the next level over their last five games. Anthony Tolliver (17.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals) has been fantastic for the Pistons while Sean Kilpatrick (18.4 points) has made great contributions to the Bulls.
The Pistons have won two out of three against the Bulls this season, including a decisive 117-95 victory in their last matchup. Detroit covered as a 13-point favorite and the game finished with a total of 212 points, which was just 4.5 points above the projected point total of 207.5 points. The Pistons knocked down 15 of their 18 free throws (83.3 percent) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.586 vs. 0.459). Andre Drummond recorded a double-double with 15 points and 20 rebounds.
Detroit Pistons vs. Chicago Bulls Betting Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Pistons, ATS Winner – Pistons, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Detroit is 20-19-1 ATS on the road with 24 unders, 15 overs and 1 push.
At home, Chicago is 21-17-2 ATS with 20 overs and 20 unders.
In games where they hold opponents under 100 points, Detroit is 21-6 and Chicago is 8-6.
When reaching the century mark, the Pistons are 34-19 and the Bulls are 24-26.
Chicago ranks sixth in three pointers attempted per game (31.0) while Detroit ranks 27th in three pointers allowed per game (30.8).
The Bulls average 23.5 assists per game, which ranks 10th in the NBA. The Pistons rank 26th in assists allowed per game (25.2).
Chicago averages 44.7 rebounds per game, which ranks sixth in the NBA. Detroit ranks 20th in rebounds allowed per game (43.8).
The Pistons rank 14th in points off turnovers per game (16.4) while the Bulls rank 26th (15.0).
Detroit ranks second in fast break points allowed per game (9.8) while Chicago ranks 10th (11.1).
The Pistons rank 21st in points in the paint per game (43.6) while the Bulls rank 26th (41.8).
Chicago ranks fifth in steals allowed per game (7.1) while Detroit ranks ninth (7.3).
Neither of these teams are great at blocking the ball. The Pistons are 26th in the NBA with 3.9 blocks per game while the Bulls are 29th with 3.6 blocks per game.
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Detroit is 1-3-1 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
Chicago is 2-2-1 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under over their last five games.
The Pistons’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 2.2, up from 0.5 for the season.
During their last five games, the Bulls have scored an average of 107.6 points per game (4.5 above their season average) and allowed an average of 111.4 points per game (1.5 above their season average).
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