The Bulls and the Celtics have produced four OVER results in their past five meetings as those Eastern Conference teams prepare to meet on the hardwood in Boston on Friday night.
Chicago topped Boston 100-89 as a 1.5-point home favorite when those teams last met on December 18, with the combined score going OVER the posted total of 181 on the NBA odds at the sportsbooks. Boston beat Chicago 101-95 on the road in November.
Boston will face the 22-15 Bulls, who own a 14-23 ATS mark on the season. (Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news). In totals betting, the Celtics are 17-20-1 favoring the UNDER so far this season while the Bulls are 15-22 favoring the OVER.
View Chicago vs Boston Odds and Stats.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
This game pits the Celtics, currently No. 20 in the Odds Shark NBA Power Rankings, against the Bulls, who rate No. 8 in the most recent survey. Meanwhile, math and computer handicapping models run on this game predict a 96-93 victory for the Bulls.
How They Match Up:
In rebounding, the battle of the boards features Boston's No. 30-rated squad against Chicago's No. 7-rated roster. When it comes to long-range shooting, Boston rates No. 28 in the league with 5.5 per game, while their foes tonight rank No. 30 with 4.6 per outing.
Defensively, the Bulls feature the league's No. 5-rated defense on the road, giving up 94.9 points per game. Boston, meanwhile, comes in at No. 19 in the league in scoring at home.
The Bulls were a 107-105 Sportsbook in their most recent outing on the road against the Raptors. They failed to cover the 4.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score (212) made Sportsbooks of OVER bettors. Chicago got 36 points from Carlos Boozer en route to a 107-105 victory over Toronto on Wednesday at Air Canada Centre.
In their last action, Boston was a 90-78 loser at home against the Hornets. They failed to cover the 8.5-point spread as favorites, while the combined score (168) was profitable news for UNDER bettors. Kevin Garnett scored 15 points in a failed effort to lead the Celtics to victory (they lost 90-78 to New Orleans at TD Garden on Wednesday).
Chicago Bulls Trends:
When playing on Friday are 3-7
Before playing Memphis are 6-4
After playing Toronto are 5-5
After a win are 5-5
Boston Celtics Trends:
When playing on Friday are 4-6
Before playing Detroit are 5-5
After playing New Orleans are 8-2
After a loss are 5-5
A few Bulls at Celtics trends to consider:
Chicago is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Chicago's last 11 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing Boston
Chicago is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Boston's last 8 games
Boston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Boston's last 11 games when playing at home against Chicago
Next up:
Chicago home to Memphis, Saturday, January 19
Boston at Detroit, Sunday, January 20
