NBA Expert Picks - Cavs vs Bulls
by Charles Jay
A contender faces a pretender as the Cleveland Cavaliers travel to the Windy City for a game against the Chicago Bulls.
Cleveland Cavaliers @ Chicago Bulls
Friday, March 19th – 8:05 PM ET
United Center, Chicago, IL
Broadcast: Regional/Local Cable
Basketball Betting Spread:
The Week That Was: Cavaliers
Coach Mike Brown’s bunch is doing its best to remain in control of the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Cavs currently own a six-game lead over second-place Orlando (through Wednesday, March 17 th), and have won nine of their last 10 games.
The past week began for Cleveland with a 100-95 win at Philadelphia on Friday, March 12. The Cavs erased a five-point deficit in the final 10 minutes, thanks in part to an 8-0 run midway through the fourth quarter.
On Sunday, March 14, the Cavs built an eight-point lead after three quarters and then scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter to put away the Boston Celtics, 104-93. LeBron James scored 24 of his 30 points after halftime to pace Cleveland Cavaliers.
On Tuesday, March 16, Cleveland went to Detroit and topped the Pistons, 113-101. Tied at 94 with 4:44 left, the Cavs outscored Detroit, 19-7, to take control down the stretch. King James tossed in 29 points while grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing out 12 assists for the victors.
On Wednesday, March 17, the Cavs outlasted Indiana, 99-94. LeBron produced his typically awesome numbers, throwing down 32 points to accompany nine boards and nine assists.
The Week That Was: Bulls
Coach Vinny Del Negro once had Chicago in playoff position, but numerous injuries have robbed this team of its potential.
These are miserable times for the Bulls, who have been playing without Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and Luol Deng over the past several games. Chicago has lost nine games in a row, which means that the past week was not a happy one.
On Friday, March 12, Chicago Bulls lost at Miami, 108-95. Dwyane Wade scored 38 points to lead the Heat past the wounded Bulls. Miami also shot 49 percent from the field against a toothless Chicago defense that clearly missed Noah, its shot-altering big man in the paint.
On Tuesday, March 16, Chicago lost at Memphis, 104-97, as the Grizzlies built an 85-67 lead after three quarters and held on for the victory. Five Memphis players scored in double figures, even D-League project Hasheem Thabeet (10 points and nine rebounds).
On Wednesday, March 17, Chicago traveled to Dallas and couldn’t reverse its fortunes. The Bulls – once down by 22 points midway through the third period – fought within seven (100-93) with 5:48 left in the game. However, a quick 8-0 Dallas run effectively ended the competitive phase of the contest.
Outlook & Pick
The Bulls are gutted. Joakim Noah is a defensive stalwart and a rebounding machine in the middle. Luol Deng is an active defender and athletic wing scorer. Derrick Rose is merely a star point guard who can do so many different things to attack a defense. Losing even one of these players makes a difference against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Losing the services of all three players? The Bulls just don’t have that much of a chance on Friday.
Basketball Betting Pick: Cavaliers
