The Utah Jazz head to the United Center to take on the Chicago Bulls. Action starts at 8:00 pm ET on Saturday, Mar. 19 and can be seen on WGN and RT.
The Bulls enter this game hoping for similar success after topping the Nets 118-102 on Thursday. Jimmy Butler had a solid performance, recording 22 points, seven assists, and three rebounds for the Bulls. The Jazz, meanwhile, are coming off a 103-69 win against the Suns on Thursday. Joe Ingles had a good game for Utah, posting 15 points, six steals, and four rebounds.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Jazz won the first game 105-96. Gordon Hayward played a big role with 27 points and 12 rebounds.
The Bulls enter the game with records of 34-33 Straight Up (SU) and 28-39 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 34-33 SU and 28-39 ATS against teams from the Western Conference. The Bulls are a dangerously accurate shooting team from three-point range with a .369 three-point field goal percentage, one of the highest marks in the NBA. The Bulls have a distinct advantage on the boards in this matchup. They are the second-ranked rebounding team in the NBA, averaging 47.3 per game, while the Jazz rank 18th in the league with 43.1 per game. Turning to the defensive side, teams have to fight for open shots against the Bulls, who have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the league at .437.
As for their opponent, the Jazz have a record of 33-34-1 ATS and 33-35 SU. Against the Eastern Conference, Utah is 33-35 SU and 33-34-1 ATS.
In their previous meeting this season, Utah beat Chicago, but the Bulls still lead the head-to-head record, 7-3 SU, over the last 10 matchups. At 5-5, they are even ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Chi
Notes
Both Utah and Chicago rank zeroth in points per game and points allowed per game respectively. Utah puts up 0.0 points per game, while Chicago gives up 0.0.
Utah and Chicago are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per away game and points allowed at home respectively. Utah puts up an average of 0.0 points on the road, while Chicago allows 0.0 points at home on average.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Bulls are 21-3 on the season. When the Jazz score fewer than 100, they are a poor 15-27.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Bulls are just 13-30 this season. Utah is a solid 18-8 when it reaches the century mark.
The Bulls have an offensive rating of 101.9 (ranked 25th). The Jazz rank 10th for their defensive rating of 102.9.
Chicago averages 99.9 possessions per game, scoring 1.019 points on each possession. While Utah averages fewer possessions per game with 94.3, the team scores more points per possession with 1.039.
Chicago has an average effective field goal percentage of 48.3%. Utah is a subpar 6-32 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Chicago Bulls make 22.6 assists per game and the Utah Jazz make 18.7. Chicago is ranked 12th, while Utah is ranked 28th.
The Chicago Bulls average 5.7 blocks per game for a rank of seventh. The Utah Jazz rank lower (12th), earning 5.2 blocks each game.
Chicago is ranked sixth in offensive rebounding. Utah ranks 22nd in defensive rebounds.
Chicago averages 5.9 steals per game. Utah is 26-31 when allowing at least 5 steals.
