The Chicago Bulls (21-24) visit the Indiana Pacers (23-25) to open Tuesday night's slate of NBA games. Check out our NBA odds series and read further for our Bulls-Pacers pick and prediction.
Despite the absence of Gordan Dragic to an already depleted Bulls roster, Billy Donovan's squad managed to pull a win at home, thanks to six players scoring in double-digits, led by Demar Derozan's 26 points and six assists.
On the other hand, the Indiana Pacers are struggling without their rising star Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton was sidelined for the last six games and the Pacers are on a seven-game losing streak.
Here are the Bulls-Pacers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Bulls-Pacers Odds
Chicago Bulls: -2 (-110)
Indiana Pacers: +2 (-110)
Over: 234.5 (-110)
Under: 234.5 (-110)
How To Watch Bulls vs. Pacers
TV: Bally Sports Indiana, NBC Sports Chicago
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Bulls Could Cover The Spread
The Chicago Bulls have been fighting for a playoff spot and they look to improve their three-game winning streak. They are currently sitting in 10th place in the Eastern Conference and fourth in the Central Division. They are still 12 games behind the Eastern Conference leaders Boston Celtics, but they are working their way even without the season-long absences of Lonzo Ball and Javonte Green.
The three recent victories of the Bulls are all double-digits, which came over the Warriors, Pistons, and Hawks. DeMar DeRozan is the top point scorer of the squad with 26.1 points, five rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per night. He has been outstanding in his shot selections, converting 51% of his field goals and 89% of his free throws. Zach LaVine follows suit with 24 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.2 steals, and three three-pointers per ball game. Nikola Vucevic is a walking double-double with his nightly outputs of 17.4 points and 11.2 rebounds.
Billy Donovan usually employs a nine-man depth chart, mixing in offensive production from his starters with defensive versatility from the bench. Alex Caruso is a bench menace with his 5.7 points, 3.5 assists, and 1.7 steals every night, while Andre Drummond secures 6.1 points and 6.7 rebounds for the Bulls. On a good night, Coby White, Derrick Jones Jr., and Ayo Dosunu are capable of making double-digit buckets and rebounds for the team.
As a team, the Bulls have been converting 48.9% of their field goals, 37.2% of their rainbow makes, and 81.9% of their charity-stripe chances. All these figures belong in the top seven of the league, and that is impressive for a squad that sits in the middle of the Eastern Conference bracket. If these numbers will keep up, Chicago might find itself comfortably sitting in the top six of the East.
Why The Pacers Could Cover The Spread
Indy has been struggling as of late, as Tyrese Haliburton remains out. His nightly contributions of 20.2 points, four rebounds, 10.2 assists, and 1.8 steals will surely be missed by Indiana as he is still nursing his elbow and knee injuries. Kendall Brown, Daniel Theis, and Andrew Nembhard are also out, while Trevelin Queen is questionable heading into this ball game.
Despite his roster riddle with injured role players and starters, coach Rick Carlisle has made some adjustments to his rotations. Bennedict Mathurin, the squad's latest rookie selection and a potential candidate for Sixth Man of the Year, has been handed more offensive duties. For the last two weeks, he has been putting up averages of 18.4 points and 4.9 rebounds for his struggling team.
Buddy Hield has also seen an uptick in minutes and shot attempts, and he has now averaged 17.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, one steal, and 3.8 three-pointers for the season. TJ McConnell has also been brilliant since Haliburton's absence, putting up two triple-doubles against Memphis and Phoenix.
Indy is capable of making 115 points per game, including 14 made threes every night, while also sharing the ball 26.6 times. They are also producing 7.9 steals and 5.9 blocks on a nightly basis. For the Pacers to survive this game, they need to rely on their rebounding and three-point shooting. Aside from Mathruin, other bench players such as Chris Duarte, Jalen Smith, and Oshae Brissett should also capitalize on their extended minutes.
Final Bulls-Pacers Prediction & Pick
The Pacers suffer a downfall in their assist numbers lately, especially since Nembhard and Haliburton were out for the past games. With McConnell as the only reliable playmaker for the team, the Bulls will likely exploit this weakness by bringing out hounding defenses from Caruso, Dosunmu, and Jones. DeRozan and LaVine are catching fire for the previous games, and they will likely keep on making buckets for the Bulls. Expect the Bulls to win the second game of the four head-to-head matches scheduled between these two squads, with Lavine and DeRozan likely popping off in this game.
Final Bulls-Pacers Prediction & Pick: Chicago Bulls -2 (-110)
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