NBA Basketball Matchup: Pacers vs Bulls
It was another amazing performance by Derrick Rose that led the Bulls to yet another big road win last night in Philadelphia.
Bet on NBA: Indiana Pacers vs. Chicago Bulls
8:00 PM EST
NBA Gambling Odds from JustBet
NBA Betting Favorite: Bulls -7
Over/Under: 189.5
The Bulls now have the best record in the NBA at 31-8.
The Pacers have been one of the bigger surprises of the season, and they enter this game at 23-12.
These two teams don’t like each other very much, and I expect both teams to fight hard in this one.
Indiana came to Chicago and beat the Bulls 95-90 in late January. Some of the Bulls thought the Pacers celebration was over the top, and there is no doubt that will add a little extra fuel to the fire in this game. The Pacers have won six straight games entering this contest.
Danny Granger leads the team with 18.3 points per game, but his shooting percentage is only 38.9% this season. Roy Hibbert’s numbers are up across the board this year, and he was a first time All-Star this year. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
David West isn’t scoring nearly as much as he had in the past, but he has been a key contributor to this team. The Pacers give up just 91.9 points per game defensively.
Derrick Rose was the first to say he took offense to the Pacers celebration in Chicago the last time these two teams met. Chicago has won six straight games as well.
The guy who has really stepped up of late has been Joakim Noah. Noah has a double-double in six of the team’s last nine games. Last night he had 11 points and 18 boards in the Bulls tight win over the 76ers.
The Bulls have four guys shooting better than 40% from beyond the arc, and that is one of their biggest strengths this year. Chicago’s frontcourt of Noah, Boozer, Gibson, and Asik is as good as you will find. Richard Hamilton is edging his way back into the lineup now, and that should be big for this team. The Bulls allow only 88.3 points per game.
The Bulls have a little extra motivation here, and I think that will help them win this one over a pretty tough Pacers team.
Prediction: Bulls 96 Pacers 87
