76ers vs. Bulls Pick
Will the Philadelphia 76ers get the job done tonight at 8PM ET when they battle the host Chicago Bulls?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the 76ers are a 2-point favorite on the spread line. over-under is set at 209 points.
Philadelphia enters with a 14-14 overall record and 16-11-1 ATS after a 119-117 triple overtime loss at home to the Thunder. Chicago is 8-20 overall and 15-12-1 ATS following a 115-109 victory at the Bulls, its fifth consecutive win. The Bulls went 2-1 straight up and 2-1 ATS in three meetings last season. The over is 2-1.
The 76ers were led by Joel Embiid with 34 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two blocked shots in 49 minutes during the loss to OKC. JJ Redick tallied 19 points, six assists and three rebounds. Dario Saric added 16 points, eight boards, four assists and two steals. Philadelphia was outscored 25-23 in the three overtime sessions.
Chicago was paced by Bobby Portis with a career-best 27 points to go with 12 rebounds off the bench in the win at Milwaukee. Nikola Mirotic accounted for 22 points, eight boards and two assists. Robin Lopez added 18 points and eight rebounds. The Bulls outscored the hosts 33-27 in the fourth quarter
Philadelphia is 1-4 ATS in its last five meetings. The over is 5-0 in the last five meetings in Chicago.
The 76ers, unlike the Thunder, luckily had a couple days off after the triple OT game. While they will be looking to bounce back with a win, they face a surging Bulls team on the road. Chicago is 5-0 since the season debut of Mirotic and have a number of players who have played some of their best basketball of the season over this stretch. Big games out of Mirotic and point guard Kris Dunn could lead the hosts to a sixth straight victory. That’s my pick.
NBA DAILY PREDICTION: CHICAGO BULLS +2