The Chicago Bulls will host a showdown against the Portland Trail Blazers at the United Center. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 27 and can be seen on WGN and CNW.
The Bulls enter this game hoping for similar success after topping the Wizards 109-104 on Wednesday. Taj Gibson was the team’s leading scorer with 17 points on 6-for-10 shooting. The Trail Blazers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 119-105 loss against the Rockets on Thursday. Damian Lillard led the team in scoring with 23 points.
Over the last five games, Derrick Rose has taken his game to another level for the Bulls, averaging 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.5 steals, and 1.2 three-pointers. Lillard has been hot for the Trail Blazers. In the same five-game span, he is averaging 33.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 2.4 steals, and 4.4 three-pointers.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Bulls winning the first matchup 93-88. In the victory, Jimmy Butler led all scorers on the team with 22 points.
The Bulls come into this game 30-27 Straight Up (SU) and 23-34 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 30-27 SU and 23-34 ATS against the Western Conference. The Bulls have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 109.9 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 101.7 points per game. The Bulls are one of the best in the NBA in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting an impressive .365 from beyond the arc. Chicago’s defense can be considered for best in the league, allowing an NBA-best .432 opponent field-goal percentage.
In the other locker room, the Trail Blazers have 30-28 SU and 32-26 ATS records. Against the Eastern Conference, Portland is 30-28 SU and 32-26 ATS.
Chicago beat Portland in their most recent meeting this season, but the win was not enough to overtake Portland in the recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 3-7 SU over the most recent 10 meetings. The Trail Blazers also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – Chi
Notes
Portland ranks eighth in points per game with 103.5, while Chicago ranks 16th in points allowed with an average of 102.3 given up.
Portland scores an average of 99.6 points per away game (ranked 16th), while Chicago gives up 99.7 points per home game (ranked 13th).
The Portland Trail Blazers have a superb 16-4 record when their opponents score fewer than 100 points this season. The Chicago Bulls are 10-14 when they score less than 100.
The Portland Trail Blazers have a losing 14-24 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Chicago Bulls are 20-12 when they hit the century mark.
The Bulls have a defensive rating of 102.8 (ranked 12th), while the Trail Blazers rank seventh for their offensive rating of 105.7.
The Chicago Bulls average a field goal percentage of 43.9% this season. The Portland Trail Blazers have an underachieving record of 12-20 when opponents have a FG% of 43.9% or greater.
The Chicago Bulls rank higher for their field goal percentage (23rd) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (29th). The Portland Trail Blazers rank higher for their effective field goal percentage (eighth) than they do for their field goal percentage (13th).
Chicago makes an average of 22.1 assists per game (ranked 14th), while Portland makes 21.5 assists per game (ranked 19th).
Chicago makes an average of 5.8 blocks per game (ranked sixth), while Portland makes 4.3 blocks per game (ranked 23rd).
Chicago is ranked sixth in offensive rebounding. Portland ranks 10th in defensive rebounds.
The Chicago Bulls make an average of 5.9 steals per game. The Portland Trail Blazers are 24-26 when they allow 5 or more steals.
