Chicago’s come crashing down from its best stretch of the season and were on the wrong stretch of a humiliating 42-point loss to Golden State Friday night.
Life for the Bulls won’t get any easier, however, as Chicago will now start a stretch where it has five of six games on the road. Boston, which has won three of its past four games, is now one game under .500 and will be looking for a marquee win over a Bulls night on the second night of a back-to-back.
Last games record
Chicago is 27-13. The Bulls lost their last game 138-96 to Golden State. Boston is 21-22 and lost its last game, 111-99, on the road.
Matchup Information
- 8:30 p.m., Jan. 16, 2022
- Boston
- TD Garden
Boston vs. Chicago Betting Analysis
Boston Betting Analysis
The Celtics are 5-5 over their past ten days but picked up some momentum by sweeping a home-and-home with Indiana and toppled the Knicks to win three of their past four. Boston ranks ninth in the league in rebounding. Robert Williams III is the Celtics’ top rebounding threat, pulling down 9.1 rebounds.
Jayson Tatum is ninth in the NBA in scoring, contributing 25.5 points per game, while Jaylen Brown has averaged more than 27.9 points per game over the past ten games. Boston is the second-most effective team at the free-throw line in the league, making 81.5 percent of its attempts.
Boston’s defense ranks sixth in the league in field goal percentage. The Celtics limit their opponents to a 43.9 shooting percentage from the field.
Chicago Betting Analysis
Losses to Brooklyn and Golden State have Chicago looking for some answers. The Bulls are hoping to lean on DeMar DeRozan, who is seventh in the league in scoring, averaging 25.7 points per game. Chicago has been effective from the 3-point line, ranking first in the league by knocking down 38.5 percent of its attempts.
Point guard Lonzo Ball leads the Bulls by knocking down 3.1 treys per game and shoots 42.3 percent from the perimeter. Chicago center Nikola Vucevic leads the Bulls with 11.3 rebounds per game, and he also contributes 16 points and 1.2 blocks per game. Chicago’s defense has had its issues with stopping other teams that shoot well from the perimeter.
The Bulls allow their opponents to shoot 36 percent from beyond the arc, which ranks 25th in the league.
Team updates
Chicago had a scare against Golden State Friday night when Zac LaVine went down with a knee injury. However, team officials are optimistic it isn’t serious. Lavine will miss the Boston game and is day-to-day. The Celtics will be without Marcus Smart, who is in the health & safety protocols.
- Chicago is 23-17 against the spread.
- The total is 20-20 in the Bulls’ games.
- Chicago is 7-5 against the spread following a loss.
- Boston is 21-21-1 against the spread.
- The over is 19-23-1 in Boston’s games.
- The Celtics are 12-9 against the spread following a loss.
Boston vs. Chicago Betting Preview
Top sportsbooks have the Celtics as 5-point favorites. Boston is -195 on the moneyline, while the Bulls are +180. The over/under is 218.5.
Playing without LaVine, who didn’t travel with the team to Boston, will be a challenge for Chicago, which has leaned on LaVine to provide 19.6 and 3.9 rebounds per game. The Celtics are relatively healthy and need to start collecting wins if they want to make a serious run at the playoffs.
Boston is in 11th place in the Eastern Conference and are a game-and-a-half behind the eight place Wizards. The Celtics are only a game behind the Raptors, who are in ninth place and are in a position to make the play-in tournament.
Boston vs. Chicago Betting Prediction
The Celtics have shown some signs of life vs. middling teams in the Eastern Conference recently. This will be a step up in competition for Boston and the type of game it needs to win to climb up the standings.
Chicago, which has lost two straight, will have to play after traveling across the country and without rest. The Bulls will also need to find a way to adjust to playing without LaVine.
How to Bet on Boston vs. Chicago
Bet Boston -5.
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