Pacers vs. Bulls Prediction
Will the Indiana Pacers continue their strong stretch when they hit the road to face the struggling Chicago Bulls tonight at 8PM ET?
535 Indiana Pacers vs. 536 Chicago Bulls
Friday, January 4, 2019
8PM ET – United Center
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Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, the Pacers are favored on the road, as they are getting odds of -6 points against the Bulls. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 202 points. The public betting for this game currently has 90 percent going on the Pacers on the road. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our NBA Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Pacers keeping up the win streak
Indiana is coming off a 116-108 win at home over Atlanta on Monday for its fifth straight win. The Pacers failed to cover a 13-point spread in the victory, but had covered in four straight prior to that. Indiana is 25-12 on the season, 11-7 on the road, 21-16 against the spread and 22-15 with the under.
The Pacers have the top defensive team in the NBA right now, allowing just 101.1 points per game while holding opponents to 43.5 percent shooting. Offensively, Indiana scores only 107.5 points per game, but the Pacers shoot 48 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from the arc. Top center Myles Turner is questionable to play tonight due to a nose injury. He averages 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.86 blocks per game. Victor Oladipo is leading the team with 19.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.5 assists per contest.
Bulls back to losing
Chicago had a brief string of wins late in December, but they have since lost two straight and three of their last four, including a 112-84 loss at home to Orlando on Wednesday. The Bulls are now 10-28 on the season, 5-14 at home, 18-20 against the spread and 25-12-1 with the under.
The Bulls have one of the worst offenses in the NBA, averaging just 100 points per game while shooting 44.2 percent from the field. Defensively, the Bulls are giving up 109.4 points per game while opponents shoot 45.6 percent from the field. Forward Bobby Portis is questionable to play tonight due to an ankle injury. Zach LaVine has been leading the team this season with 23.3 points and 4.5 assists per game while Lauri Markkanen is averaging 17 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
NBA Betting Trends
Indiana
The Pacers have covered the spread in five straight road games and in 14 of their last 20 division games.
Chicago
The Bulls are 4-0 against the spread in their last four games playing on 1 day of rest, but just 1-5 ATS in their last six home games.
Prediction:
The Pacers are playing on another level right now and I think Chicago will be just another victim on the list. Indiana has won both meetings with Chicago this year, but the Bulls have managed to cover in each game. I think the Indiana defense will be up to the challenge tonight. The Pacers will be able to control the tempo of play and Chicago doesn’t have the talent to do anything about it.
NBA Prediction: Indiana Pacers -6