An Eastern Conference showdown is set to get underway on Wednesday night as the Cleveland Cavaliers travel to face the Chicago Bulls. The Cavaliers currently sit in 12th place in the Eastern Conference standings at 16-27, while the Bulls are 19-23 for the ninth-best record in the conference. Chicago is at the play-in line for a potential spot to make the playoffs.
This is the first meeting this season between the two teams, who will play twice more in April.
The NBA odds have the Bulls as six-point favorites at home, with the over/under steamed up to 222.
Chicago Bulls Preview
The Bulls are led by All-Star guard Zach Lavine, who is seventh in the league in scoring at 28.2 points per game. Head coach Billy Donovan has adjusted the lineup of late to try to find a formula that works as he tries to secure a playoff spot for his team.
The Bulls played very little against their division this season as they sit at 3-2 against Central Division opponents. The team comes in eighth in the league, averaging 35.5 rebounds per game defensively. Wendell Carter Jr. leads the team with 5.6 rebounds per game.
The Bulls are getting contributions from veteran forward Thaddeus Young, who is averaging 13.3 points and 8.1 rebounds while shooting 58.7% from the field over his last 10 games.
Guard Coby White was moved to a bench role, and so far, the adjustment hasn’t helped the young guard at all. He has only scored in double digits one time.
Since the role change, he is averaging 9.7 points with 3.2 assists while shooting 35% from the field. His recent struggles have opted Donovan to only play him in limited minutes, as he was only on the floor for 16 minutes against Detroit over the weekend.
White is a bucket-getter, but where he needs to improve is his playmaking if he wants to earn his way back into heavy minutes.
The Bulls are 4-6 over their last 10 games, averaging 109.7 points, 47.3 rebounds and 26.6 assists on 45.9% shooting. The opposition has averaged 111 points per game on 47.4% shooting.
Cleveland Cavaliers Preview
The Cavaliers boast one of the worst offenses in the league, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be disruptive. Point guard Darius Garland and running mate Collin Sexton are starting to become a nice backcourt duo and are shooting a solid 40% from 3-point range.
Newly-acquired center Jarrett Allen is where the Bulls are going to run into problems as the super athletic shot-blocker has become a nice cornerstone for the rebuilding Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers have split their Eastern Conference games at 12-12. Cleveland is at the bottom of the conference with an average of 104.1 points per game on 45.2 shooting from the field.
Sexton leads the Cavaliers in scoring at 24 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. Garland is having a breakout second year, averaging 16.3 points and 5.3 assists over the last 10 games.
Cleveland is 4-6 in its last 10 with averages of 103.4 points, 43.2 rebounds and 22.4 assists while shooting 45.2% from the field. Its opponents have averaged 109.2 points on 47.0 percent shooting.
Analysis and Pick
Every game is important for the Bulls, as the eight through 11 spots in the East are pretty tight. The Cavaliers are just looking to sneak some wins in here and there and watch the young core of Allen, Sexton and Garland blossom. This team is lottery-bound, but it still plays as hard as anyone and has some nice talent.
The trade deadline is set for Thursday, and the Bulls are adamant on working to potentially acquire Lonzo Ball from the New Orleans Pelicans as their point guard of the future.
The Cavaliers are carrying Kevin Love and Andre Drummond, who have both been out since before the All-Star break. Drummond will either be dealt or bought out by Thursday’s deadline.
Love can’t ever seem to stay healthy as age is steadily catching up to him. The Cavaliers have said they plan to keep him, but if the right trade to a contender comes along, the Cavs will be intrigued about pulling the trigger.
When making your NBA betting picks on this game, go with the Bulls.
