The Chicago Bulls (42-31) meet the Cleveland Cavaliers (41-32) Saturday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for an 8 p.m. ET tip-off. Below, we look at the Bulls vs. Cavaliers odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
The Bulls beat the Cavs 101-91 as 5.5-point home favorites March 12. Chicago is 2-1 straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) versus Cleveland this season.
However, since beating the Cavs earlier this month, the Bulls have lost 5 of their last 6 games (1-5 ATS) with the latest being a 126-109 beatdown on the road at the hands of the New Orleans Pelicans Thursday.
Cleveland is 3-3 SU and 2-3-1 ATS in the last six games but has lost back-to-back games. The Cavs were beaten at home by the Los Angeles Lakers 131-120 Monday, before falling at the Toronto Raptors 117-104 Thursday.
- Money line (ML): Bulls +110 (bet $100 to win $110) | Cavaliers -135 (bet $135 to win $100)
- Against the spread: Bulls +2.5 (-112) | Cavaliers -2.5 (-108)
- Over/Under (O/U): 223.5 (O: -108 | U: -112)
Bulls at Cavaliers key injuries
Bulls
- PG Lonzo Ball (knee) out
- SG Alex Caruso (back) probable
- SF DeMar DeRozan (hip) probable
Cavaliers
- C Jarrett Allen (finger) out
Bulls at Cavaliers odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Cavaliers 112, Bulls 109
Money line
Both teams are pretty evenly matched, but the Bulls have been really struggling lately and the CAVALIERS (-135) will play better in this head-to-head in Cleveland.
For instance, over the past two weeks, Chicago is 27th in adjusted net rating (minus-8.8) with the second-worst ATS margin (minus-8.9), according to CleaningTheGlass.com, (CTG).
Also, the Bulls have given up at least 125 points in 4 of their past 5 games. Opponents hit 52.0% of their shots (39.2% from 3) versus Chicago over that span and the Bulls were outrebounded 48.2-36.4 in those games.
Furthermore, the Cavs shot just 27.5% from 3 in their two visits to Chicago this season but connected on 46.4% of their 3’s in Cleveland Dec. 8.
Granted, that was a different Cavs team, but PF Kevin Love replacing Allen in the starting 5 adds floor spacing and 3-point shooting to Cleveland’s offense.
On top of that, Chicago doesn’t have the defense in its frontcourt to deal with Cleveland’s dynamic frontcourt. K-Love can knock down 3’s, former PF Lauri Markkanen stretches the floor, and this is a revenge game for him (as a former Bull), and rookie big Evan Mobley is the athletic centerpiece of the Cleveland trio.
Finally, most of the action is on the Bulls (+110), but the oddsmakers have lowered Chicago from a slight favorite on the opener down to a slight underdog.
Let’s get on the same side as the House and BET the CAVALIERS (-135).