New York Knicks at Chicago Bulls
Saturday, 12/8/12, 8:00 PM EST, TV: WGN
Opening Point Spread: New York -2.5
Current Betting Line: New York -2
Opening Total: 189
Current Total: 189
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
New York is proving to be one of the best basketball teams in the Eastern Conference, coming off a dominating 112-92 victory over the Miami Heat as 10-point road underdogs, while the OVER is 3-0-1 in its last four games overall. The Knicks may play their second consecutive game without the services of forward Carmelo Anthony, who is dealing with a cut on the middle finger of his left hand. New York is 1-4 ATS after scoring 105 or more points this season, which can’t be ignored when looking over the pro basketball odds page.
The Knicks are 7-4 on the road this season, including a 5-1 mark versus conference foes, but they’ve lost 18 of their last 21 trips to the United Center. New York will be playing the sixth of 19 back-to-backs this season, posting a 5-0 record on the front end this year, but Anthony definitely needs to get back on the floor. He averaged 29.8 points and 5.8 rebounds in four meetings against the Bulls last year.
Chicago returns home after sweeping a two-game road trip, which included a 108-104 win over the Detroit Pistons as 2.5-point favorites, while going OVER the total for the first time in eight contests. The Bulls received a huge effort out of center Joakim Noah, who finished with career highs of 30 points and 23 rebounds. “It’s crazy to have numbers like that,” commented Noah after the game. He came into the game averaging 13.0 points and 9.8 rebounds. Chicago is 16-8 ATS after playing two consecutive games as a road favorite since 2010, which is important to handicap when making your pro basketball picks on Saturday.
The Bulls will need power forward Carlos Boozer to be a presence inside against the Knicks, as he’s averaged 15.7 points and 13.5 rebounds in the past five meetings since joining the team as a free agent from the Utah Jazz. Chicago has failed to cover the spread in nine of its 10 home games this year, while the UNDER is 8-2 in that situation.
Sports bettors will likely back the Bulls due to their 5-1 ATS mark as a home underdog, while the Knicks are 2-2 ATS after a blowout win of 20 or more points as an underdog.
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