Cavaliers vs. Bulls: NBA odds, Picks and Predictions
Cavaliers vs. Bulls Odds
| Cavaliers Odds | -2.5 |
| Bulls Odds | +2.5 |
| Over/Under | 224 |
| Date | Sat, Dec. 31 |
| Time | 7:00 p.m. |
| TV | BSOH |
On New Year’s Eve, the Cleveland Cavaliers will travel to the United Center for an intra-division matchup against the Chicago Bulls. Entering play, Cleveland owns the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference at 22-14, with Chicago holding on to the final play-in position at 16-19. Tonight, the potential absence of key players for Cleveland have oddsmakers expecting a close game, pricing Cleveland as 2.5-point road favorites on the spread.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Road struggles for Cleveland
Cleveland has the most stark home-and-away splits of any team in the NBA that currently holds a playoff spot. At home this year, they are 16-4, outscoring their opponents by 8.3 points per 100 possessions. On the road, Cleveland is 6-10, only outscoring their opponents by 1.4 points per 100 possessions – and that number is skewed by two blowout victories over the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz, with both wins coming by 23 points or more.
Garland and Mobley listed as questionable
Adding to Cleveland’s road anxiety tonight is the fact that both Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, two of the team’s top-three offensive threats, are listed as questionable. Garland has a right thumb sprain and Mobley is dealing with right ankle soreness. Per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, Garland was spotted at yesterday’s practice with “his injured right thumb wrapped in a bag of ice.”
Chicago Bulls
Surging Bulls
In their last six games, the Bulls are 5-1, including an impressive come-from-behind victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. In that span, Chicago has also beaten the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, and New York Knicks – three teams that would own a postseason spot if the regular season ended today. Chicago’s success has been partially attributed to their willingness to attack the basket, ranking 30th in the league in three-point attempts during their recent hot streak.
Struggling on the glass
Despite experiencing recent success in the win column, the Bulls have done a poor job on the boards, ranking 24th in rebound percentage since December 20. Facing a Cleveland team that ranks 7th in the NBA in rebound percentage this season, this could be an area of concern for Chicago tonight. When these two teams met earlier in the season, Cleveland out-rebounded Chicago 48-35 in a 128-96 slaughter of the Bulls on their home court.
Cavaliers vs. Bulls – Picks & Predictions
Bettors could be getting value on Cleveland in this spot, assuming that Evan Mobley suits-up. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Cavaliers rank in the 78th percentile in Net Rating with Darius Garland on the floor this season, and the 80th percentile when he is on the sidelines. Though the young guard is a high-caliber player, Cleveland has proven themselves capable of playing well when he is not in the lineup. If the Cavaliers have Mobley, they will have a major rebounding advantage once again, which could lead to a rare road victory on New Year’s Eve.
PICK: Cavaliers -2.5 (-110, FanDuel)
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