NBA Odds: Bulls (-4)
The Central’s top team will be on the road when the Chicago Bulls (34-20) head to The Palace of Auburn Hills to challenge the division rival Detroit Pistons (21-33). Action begins at 7:30 pm ET on Friday, Feb. 20 and can be seen on CSN-CHI and FSN-DET.
The Pistons are hoping for a better outcome after their 104-87 loss to the Spurs in their last matchup. D.J. Augustin was the game’s leading scorer with 22 points. The Bulls, meanwhile, are coming off a 113-98 win against the Cavaliers in their last game. Derrick Rose was the team’s top scorer, accounting for 30 points on 12-for-24 shooting.
Over the last five games, a number of players have upped their production for the Bulls. Pau Gasol has led the way, averaging 21.0 points, 13.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.4 blocks. Rose (21.2 PTS, 2.4 REB, 6.2 AST, 1.0 STL, and 1.2 3PM) and Tony Snell (18.2 PTS, 3.0 REB, 1.2 AST, 1.0 STL, and 3.8 3PM) have also been notable.
Trips to the foul line may prove key for the Bulls in this one. They’re ranked second in the league in free throw attempt rate (31.2), while Detroit is among the best at keeping opponents off of the charity stripe (ranking third by allowing a free throw attempt rate of 24.3).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Bulls winning the first matchup 102-91. Gasol put up 17 points and 15 rebounds.
Chicago takes on Detroit as a four-point favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is currently not available. The Pistons come into this game 21-33 Straight Up (SU) and 25-29 Against The Spread (ATS). They have the same record SU and ATS against divisional opponents, going 4-6. The rebounding edge goes to the Pistons in this matchup, who are one of the top rebounding teams in the league with an average of 45.2 boards per game.
As for their opponent, the Bulls have a record of 25-29 ATS and 34-20 SU. Against fellow division members, Chicago has a 5-3 SU and a 4-4 ATS record. The Bulls convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking third in the league at .784. The Bulls have controlled the glass with an average of 45.6 per game, third in the league. Moving on to Chicago’s defense, Chicago’s defense allows just 97.4 points per road game, ranking them fourth in the league. Blocking shots is an area where Chicago has excelled. The Bulls average 6.3 blocks per game, best in the league.
In their previous meeting this season, Chicago beat Detroit, bumping its SU record over the last 10 meetings to 8-2. The Pistons lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4. In these last 10 matchups, each team was able to hold the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers two times.
Predictions: SU Winner – CHI, ATS Winner – CHI
Notes
Detroit is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games at home.
Detroit is 8-16-1 ATS in its last 25 games when playing Chicago.
Detroit is 2-22 SU in its last 24 games when playing Chicago.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit’s last 7 games when playing at home against Chicago.
Detroit is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Chicago.
Detroit is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games when playing at home against Chicago.
The Chicago Bulls hold a winning 5-3 SU record in matchups against Central Division rivals, while the Detroit Pistons currently sit at 4-6 in these games.
Chicago ranks ninth in points per game with 102.2, while Detroit ranks 17th in points allowed with an average of 99.8 given up.
Chicago puts up an average of 100.5 points per away game (ranked ninth). Detroit ranks 22nd in points allowed per home game with 101.6.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Bulls are 23-6 on the season. When the Pistons score fewer than 100, they are a losing 8-23.
The Chicago Bulls have an 11-14 record when their opponents score 100 points or more. The Detroit Pistons have a 13-10 record when they reach the century mark.
The Pistons have a defensive rating of 103.6 (ranked 16th), while the Bulls rank ninth for their offensive rating of 105.2.
Detroit has an average field goal percentage of 42.8%. Chicago is an even 18-18 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
On average, Detroit attempts 25.1 three pointers and Chicago attempts 21.4 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Pistons have a 10-14 record while the Bulls have a poor 6-10 record.
Detroit and Chicago are well matched, both ranking 13th based on their assist to turnover ratio. Both have registered an A/TO of 1.64 this season.
The Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls are two of the top rebounding teams in the NBA. Detroit is ranked fourth with 45.2 rebounds per game, and Chicago ranks third with 45.6.
The Chicago Bulls rank sixth in offensive rebounding, while the Detroit Pistons rank 14th in defensive rebounding.
The Detroit Pistons’ opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 14.0% this season. The Chicago Bulls have a solid 16-7 record when their TOV% is 14.0% or higher.
