It will be a battle between Central Division opponents when the Chicago Bulls (15-27) welcome the Detroit Pistons (22-18) to United Center. The game starts at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 13, 2018, and will air on Fox Sports – Detroit.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 207 points with Chicago set as a 1-point favorite.
Detroit Pistons vs. Chicago Bulls ATS Prediction
In the Pistons’ last outing, they blew out the Brooklyn Nets, 114-80. The Pistons held the Nets to an offensive rebounding percentage of 4.4 (below their season average of 22.5). The Nets also had a turnover percentage of 17.4 (above their season average of 13.3). With 22 points on 9-for-15 shooting, Andre Drummond was the game’s leading scorer.
The Bulls edged the New York Knicks in their last matchup, 122-119. One of Chicago’s biggest advantages was their ability to convert at the free throw line. They were 17-20 (85.0 percent), while the Knicks were just 13-21 (61.9 percent). Lauri Markkanen was the top scorer from either team with 33 points on 10-for-22 shooting.
Based on historical performance heading into this one, ball protection could play an integral role in this battle. Chicago commits the fifth-fewest miscues in the league (turnover percentage of 13.1 percent), while the disruptive defense of Detroit forces the fifth-most (opponents’ turnover percentage of 15.5 percent).
Detroit heads into the contest with records of 22-18 straight up (SU) and 23-15-2 against the spread (ATS). Games featuring the Pistons tend to go under the total (60.0 percent).
Meanwhile, Chicago is 15-27 SU and 23-16-3 ATS. Contrary to Detroit, games including the Bulls have typically gone over the total (57.1 percent).
Markkanen has averaged 17.2 points and 8.4 rebounds over the last five games for Chicago.
After splitting four games last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. The Bulls won the last matchup 117-95. The Bulls had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.656 vs. 0.483) and had a better free throw rate (0.150 vs. 0.114).
Detroit Pistons at Chicago Bulls Free Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Pistons, ATS Winner – Pistons, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Detroit is 13-8-1 ATS on the road with 14 unders, 7 overs and 1 push.
At home, Chicago is 10-8-2 ATS with 11 unders and 9 overs.
Chicago is 5-5 when they allow less than 100 points, while Detroit is 12-4.
When scoring above 100 points, the Bulls are 13-11 and the Pistons are 19-6.
Detroit ranks seventh in points off turnovers per game (17.8) while Chicago ranks 28th (14.0).
The Bulls average 23.5 assists per game, which ranks sixth in the NBA. The Pistons rank 26th in assists allowed per game (24.3).
Detroit ranks 14th in rebounds allowed per game (42.7) while Chicago ranks 28th (45.6).
The Pistons rank 12th in three pointers allowed per game (28.0) while the Bulls rank 25th (30.7).
Detroit ranks second in fast break points allowed per game (8.5) while Chicago ranks 15th (11.2).
The Pistons rank 18th in points in the paint per game (42.9) while the Bulls rank 28th (40.6).
Detroit ranks fourth in second chance points allowed per game (10.5) while Chicago ranks eighth (11.6).
The Bulls rank 28th in blocks per game (3.7) while the Pistons rank 29th (3.4).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Detroit is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Chicago is 2-3 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under over their last five games.
The Pistons have been outscored by an average of 1.0 point in their last five games. For the season, Detroit has defeated opponents by an average of 0.9 points.
During their last five games, the Bulls have scored an average of 111.4 points per game (9.1 above their season average) and allowed an average of 121.6 points per game (13.2 above their season average).
