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The Portland Trail Blazers will pay a visit to the United Center Name to take on the Chicago Bulls in a 3:30 PM tip on Sunday. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes our Blazers-Bulls prediction, odds, and pick we have laid out below.
The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Houston Rockets, 125-110, in their most recent game. Anfernee Simons continued to step up in Damian Lillard's absence as he top-scored for Portland with 27 points. CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic also had huge nights with 26 points and 25 points, respectively. Portland has won six of its last 10 and is still holding on to the final play-in tournament spot at 10th in the Western Conference.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls are coming off a 131-122 loss to DeMar DeRozan's former team, the San Antonio Spurs. DeRozan scored 32 points and Zach LaVine went for 30, but those were not enough for Chicago to give DeRozan his revenge win over San Antonio. The Bulls have lost seven of their last 10 games and have dropped to second in the Eastern Conference standings.
Here is how FanDuel has set the Blazers–Bulls NBA odds for this Saturday night NBA matchup.
NBA odds: Blazers–Bulls Odds
Portland Trail Blazers: +5 (-106)
Chicago Bulls: -5 (-114)
Over: 229 (-112)
Under: 229 (-108)
Why The Blazers Could Cover The Spread
The Portland Trail Blazers have been hampered with injuries and COVID this season. Portland has been without superstar guard Damian Lillard for quite a while now due to an abdomen injury. Dame Time hasn't graced an NBA court in 2022. Aside from Lillard, the Blazers also lost Nassir Little to a left shoulder labral tear. There is speculation that the 21-year old may be done for the season, which is a huge loss for Portland.
The Blazers also listed Robert Covington as probable due to an MCL sprain for this Sunday afternoon game. Norman Powell and Dennis Smith Jr. are also probable with knee and ankle injuries, respectively.
Still, despite their laundry list of injuries, the Blazers still have a sliver of hope to make the postseason. They've surprisingly gone 8-6 without Lillard. Anfernee Simons is taking full advantage of the opportunity with Lillard sidelined and CJ McCollum missing an extended period earlier due to a collapsed lung. Since Lillard went down, Simons has averaged 24.4 points and 7.1 assists while shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 44.4 from long range.
The Blazers are 21-28 on the season and have gone 7-15 on the road. They are 12-7 against Eastern Conference squads. Against the spread, Portland is also at 21-28.
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Why The Bulls Could Cover The Spread
The Chicago Bulls have been struggling as of late. As a result, they've lost their hold of the No. 1 seed in the East. Like Portland, they are also dealing with several injuries.
The Bulls reported that starting point guard Lonzo Ball had successful surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. Ball will be out for an approximate of six to eight weeks. In addition, Chicago is also without defensive stalwart Alex Caruso. The fan-favorite is also out for six to eight weeks after undergoing wrist surgery. Caruso suffered a fractured wrist due to a nasty fall when Milwaukee Bucks guard Grayson Allen gave him a hard foul in mid-air while going for a layup. Furthermore, the Bulls will also be without Derrick Jones Jr. for (you guessed it) six to eight weeks. The high-flying forward suffered a fractured right index finger during a workout last Tuesday.
These injuries are certainly a bummer for the Bulls as they are arguably Chicago's top three perimeter defenders. In their absence, rookie guard Ayo Dosunmu has stepped up with the increased opportunity. Since Ball went down, Dosunmu is averaging 13.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine should continue to put up All-Star type numbers and carry the offensive load for this depleted squad, and Nikola Vucevic should continue being a force in the middle for Chicago offensively. Until the three injured players come back, the Bulls likely need to rely on their offense to win them ball games.
Despite this, the Bulls are still clinging to the No. 2 seed in the East with a 30-18 mark. However, the Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Milwaukee Bucks are creeping up behind them and are just a half-game back from Chicago. The 6th seed Brooklyn Nets are just 1.5 games behind the Bulls on the win-loss column. Chicago is one of the best home teams in the league at 17-6 and are also 10-7 against West teams. Versus the spread, they are also one of the best at 28-20.
Final Blazers–Bulls Prediction & Pick
Despite their injuries, the Bulls should win here and cover the spread. They're going up against one of the weakest defenses in the NBA (28th in defensive rating per NBA.com). Chicago should be able to take advantage of that with the amount of firepower they have offensively in DeRozan, LaVine, and Vucevic.
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Final Blazers–Bulls Prediction & Pick: Bulls: -5 (-114)
