UPDATE: Bulls point guard Rajon Rondo has been sidelined indefinitely with a broken thumb and will not play tonight. As a result, the Bulls have gone from 1.5-point favorites to 2-point underdogs.
Thanks to two straight home losses, the top-seeded Boston Celtics are in panic mode right now. With the series shifting back to Chicago, the Celtics will be tasked with picking up their first win in the Windy City since November 2014. Sportsbooks opened the Celtics as 1.5-point underdogs with a total of 207.5.
- The total has gone UNDER in 10 of the Celtics' last 14 games on the road.
- The Bulls are 9-2 SU in their last 11 games.
- The Celtics are 2-12 SU and 3-11 ATS in their last 14 games on the road against the Bulls.
The Celtics are the 24th team in the NBA to lose Games 1 and 2 at home in a best-of-seven series, and only three of those squads went on to advance to the next round. The last time that happened was in 2005 when the Dallas Mavericks erased the 2-0 deficit to beat the Houston Rockets in seven games.
But Boston’s underwhelming performance so far could be historic if the Celtics aren’t able to complete the comeback. This is only the second time in NBA history where the top seed has lost the first two games to the eighth seed. The 1993 Phoenix Suns dropped the first two contests of their series with the Los Angeles Lakers but rattled off three straight wins to stave off the upset. That was when the league had a best-of-five format, though, so it could be different this time around.
Brad Stevens is recognized as one of the top coaches in the league, but his record in the postseason leaves a lot to be desired. In 12 playoff games, Stevens is 2-10 SU – bad enough to give him the worst record of any coach in NBA history thus far.
The Celtics’ inability to cover the spread dates back much further than the playoffs, as Boston is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 overall.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
The visiting Boston Celtics betting line opened this morning as 1.5-point underdogs in this one at most sportsbooks tracked at Odds Shark (including Sportsbook), while the total was hovering around 207 at Sportsbook and other betting odds shops.
Odds Shark computer prediction formulas pick a 114-96 win for the Bulls on Friday. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NBA matchups here.
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Chicago Bulls currently sport a record of 43-41, and have posted a corresponding betting slate of 44-40 ATS. The Boston Celtics are 53-31 and 41-42-1 ATS. Betting totals have seen the Bulls post a 36-48 OVER/UNDER record this season, while the Celtics have gone 40-40-4 against the total number of points scored. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Chicago vs Boston injuries news.
The Chicago Bulls sit at No. 9 in the current NBA Power Rankings here at Odds Shark, while the Boston Celtics are at No. 11 on that betting chart.
Statistical Matchup
Offensively the game matches up Chicago's No. 23-ranked offense (103 PPG) against a Boston Celtics defense that ranks No. 14 at 105.45 PPG. The Chicago Bulls have averaged 44.45% from the field per game, less than the Boston Celtics have managed so far this NBA season (45.39% on average).
Recent Outings Betting Recap
- Boston is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games
- Boston is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games
- Boston is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
- Chicago is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
- Chicago is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 7 games
- Chicago is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Next Betting Matchups
Boston at Chicago, Sunday, April 23rd