The Chicago Bulls have taken a 2-1 lead on the Brooklyn Nets in their best-of-seven first-round NBA playoff series as those teams hit the hardwood again in Game 4 on Saturday afternoon.
The Bulls took their series lead with a 79-76 home win on Thursday night in Game 3, failing to cover the 3.5-point spread at the sportsbooks in that contest. Carlos Boozer scored 22 points and grabbed 16 rebounds for the Bulls in that victory.
(Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news).
The Bulls currently sports a record of 45-37, and have posted a corresponding betting slate of 36-46 ATS. The Nets are 49-33 and 39-41-2 ATS. Betting totals have seen the Bulls post a 37-45 OVER/UNDER record this season, while the Nets have gone 41-41 against the number.
View Brooklyn vs Chicago Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
Bettors looking to side with the Bulls in this one found them as 3-point favorites earlier at Sportsbook, while the total had been sitting in the area of 178.5 at Sportsbook.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Bulls sit at No. 13 in the current NBA Power Rankings here at Odds Shark, while the Nets are at No. 12 on that chart. Math models have concluded that the Nets will win this game 96-95.
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Chicago's No. 29-ranked offense (93.2 PPG) against a Nets defense that ranks No. 6 at 95.1 PPG. The Bulls have averaged 43.7% from the field per game, less than the Nets have managed so far this season (45% on average).
Defensively, the Nets feature the league's No. 5-rated defense on the road, giving up 95.2 points per game. Chicago, meanwhile, comes in at No. 30 in the league in scoring at home.
Brooklyn lost its last outing, a 79-76 result against the Bulls on April 25. The Nets covered in that game as a 3.5-point underdog, while the 155 combined points took the game UNDER the total. Brooklyn suffered a 79-76 loss against Chicago on Thursday, getting 22 points from Brook Lopez in a losing effort at United Center.
Brooklyn Nets Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 5-5
Before playing Chicago are 5-5
After playing Chicago are 3-7
After a loss are 7-3
Chicago Bulls Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 5-5
Before playing Brooklyn are 8-2
After playing Brooklyn are 7-3
After a win are 5-5
A few Nets at Bulls trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Brooklyn's last 13 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Brooklyn's last 8 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Brooklyn's last 22 games
Brooklyn is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
Chicago is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
Chicago is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Brooklyn
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Brooklyn
Next up:
Brooklyn home to Chicago, Monday, April 29
Chicago at Brooklyn, Monday, April 29
