NBA regular season games continue on Monday. The Indiana Pacers will travel to face off against the Chicago Bulls. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Pacers-Bulls prediction and pick.
These two teams have had different starts to the season. The Indiana Pacers are 7-11 and are coming off a very solid win at home. The Chicago Bulls are 12-5 and just notched an impressive pair of wins. This should be a good game.
Here are the odds for the Pacers-Bulls Monday night NBA matchup, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Pacers-Bulls Odds
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Indiana Pacers: +3 (-110)
Chicago Bulls: -3 (-110)
Over: 211.5 (-108)
Under: 211.5 (-112)
Why The Pacers Could Cover The Spread
The Indiana Pacers may have a losing record, but they have been a very competitive team. They took down New Orleans in their last game, winning 111-94. And they only lost by 3 in the game prior against a tough Charlotte Hornets team. The Pacers are one of those teams that can be sneaky competitive and actually pull through with some upsets. They have a talented roster and well rounded team that makes them tough to play against. If the Pacers come into Monday's match ready to steal one on the road, they just might be able to do it.
Leading the way for Indiana has been Domantas Sabonis. Sabonis has been having a phenomenal season thus far. In only 22 minutes of play against New Orleans, he had a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. On the season, he's averaging nearly 18 points and over 11 rebounds a game. Sabonis is the focal point of this Pacers team and has shown that he can have a big impact on games. If the big man can dominate offensively for the Pacers then they could steal a win on the road.
Another big part of this Pacers offense has been Malcolm Brogdon. Brogdon played for only 25 minutes against the Pelicans and still had 16 points and 4 assists. The sixth year guard is averaging over 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists a game. If Brogdon can get going against Chicago then Indiana stands a chance at beating one of the hottest teams in the NBA. This Pacers team will really need to come together and leading the charge will be Sabonis and Brogdon. They have the talent to win this game, they will just need to put the pieces together on Monday.
Why The Bulls Could Cover The Spread
The Chicago Bulls have been one of the more surprising stories of this season. They have an impressive 12-5 record and have managed to take down some of the best teams in the league. Chicago is coming off a 6 point victory over the New York Knicks. In the game before that, the Bulls beat the Nuggets by 6. This Chicago team has been able to persevere and grind out tough wins in crunch time. They are a better team than Indiana and should be able to take care of business at home. Expect the Bulls to extend their win streak to three.
Leading the way for Chicago is Zach LaVine. LaVine has been a big part of the Chicago Bulls for years now, and is a huge reason for their success. He is coming off a 21 point game against the Knicks, and has been having a great season. The explosive guard is averaging over 26 points a game and is a big part of Chicago's success. LaVine has been the long time face of the Bulls and continues to improve his game. If he can have a big game at home after an underwhelming outing against New York, the Bulls should have no problem running away with this one.
A huge bright spot for this Bulls team has been DeMar DeRozan. Chicago added the veteran guard this offseason and couldn't have hoped for him to have played better. DeRozan is on a tear. Against the Knicks he had 31 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. On the season he is averaging nearly 27 points a game. The LaVine-DeRozan duo has quickly become one of the best in the NBA. On any given night these two players can easily combine for 60+ points and take down just about any opposing team in the league. Expect big things from these two on Monday.
Final Pacers-Bulls Prediction & Pick
The spread for this game is a bit closer than it should be. Even with Vucevic out, the Bulls are a top team in the NBA. The Pacers haven't proven that they can beat a team of Chicago's caliber which makes this pick pretty easy.
The only way Indiana wins this game is if Sabonis dominates down low and if the Pacers can steal offensive boards. That is the big hole left in Chicago when Vucevic is out. Besides that, the Bulls should have no problem putting up some big offensive numbers, and they should be your pick for this game. Pick Chicago to win and cover.
FINAL PACERS-BULLS PICK: Chicago Bulls -3 (-110)
FINAL PACERS-BULLS SCORE PREDICTION: Bulls 111 – Pacers 103
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