Cleveland Cavaliers at Chicago Bulls
Tuesday, 2/26/13, 8:00 PM EST, TV: NBATV
Opening Point Spread: Chicago -7.5
Current Betting Line: Chicago -6.5
Opening Total: 189
Current Total: 190
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Cleveland had its two-game win streak snapped last time out, as it dropped a 109-105 decision to the Miami Heat as 12.5-point road underdogs Sunday, while going OVER the total for the third consecutive contest. “You can’t give up easy baskets,” stated Cavaliers coach Byron Scott. The Cavaliers are going to have a hard time bouncing back in this affair, considering they’ve lost their last 11 games versus the Bulls by an average of 17.8 points. Cleveland is 5-5 ATS as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points this season, with the OVER going 6-4 in that situation.
The Cavaliers are 7-2 in their last nine games versus Eastern Conference opponents, but five of those victories have come at home. Over the team’s last nine contests, Cleveland has outscored its opponents 108.2 to 102.6, while dishing out an average of 24.6 assists to 11.3 turnovers per game. During the month of February, the team is receiving 42.1 points per game from its bench, which is the sixth-most in the NBA in that span.
Chicago has alternated wins and losses over its last five games, as it tries to bounce back from a 102-72 setback to the Oklahoma City Thunder as nine-point road underdogs Sunday, while going UNDER the total for the third consecutive contest. “It was bad tonight,” commented Bulls center Joakim Noah after the game. The Bulls are 15-13 at the United Center this season, including a 10-6 mark versus conference foes. Chicago is 1-6 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points this season, which can’t be ignored when making your NBA picks against the spread.
The Bulls will need to win this game on the defensive end, as they’ve ranked second in the league in allowing 91.3 points per game since coach Tom Thibodeau took over in the Windy City in 2011. Chicago is currently third in that particular category during the 2012-13 campaign, with opponents shooting just 43.3 percent from the field.
Sports bettors will likely back the Cavaliers due to their 9-4-1 ATS mark in their last 14 road games, while the Bulls are 4-9 ATS versus losing teams.
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