Home court advantage isn’t meaning much in the first-round series between the top-seeded Boston Celtics and No. 8 Chicago Bulls. The road team has picked up the first three games, and Boston badly needs that trend to continue in order to even the series and regain control of this matchup.
The Celtics routed Chicago last time out as they look to avoid the monumental upset against the lowest-seeded team in the Eastern Conference. Boston was a slight favorite in Game 3 despite being away from home and it seems likely the Bulls will be the underdogs again after getting routed last time out.
This is a crucial game for the Bulls to capture if they truly have designs of capturing the series, and each side knows how much it means to them.
This war on the floor will go down Sunday, April 23, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. ET at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The game will be televised live on TNT.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Sunday schedule.
NBA Odds
Boston was a 2.5-point favorite in Game 3 and cruised to the 104-87 victory. The scoring total came in at 205.5 and the “under” was the clear correct choice.
The Celtics improved to 54-31 straight up and 42-42-1 against the spread. Boston has gone on the road 42 times on the season and has gone 25-16-1 against the spread. The Celtics have covered in 31 of 64 attempts as the favorite on the season.
The Bulls are 43-42 straight up and 44-41 against the spread. Chicago has covered in half of its 42 home games on the season and has gone an impressive 29-19 against the spread as the underdog.
Last Time Out
This game was a big departure from the first two upsets Chicago pulled in Boston, and it more closely the script expected when a No. 1 seed plays the No. 8. Al Horford had 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting and added eight rebounds.
The Celtics took an 18-point lead after the first quarter and while Chicago battled back by halftime, Boston came out strong in the third quarter to help put the game away. Isaiah Thomas added 16 points and nine assists as he continues to try to stay strong after getting the unfathomable news of his sister’s death in an automobile accident right before the series started.
Jimmy Butler struggled for Chicago, finishing with 14 points and seven rebounds while shooting only 7-of-21 from the field.
Injury Report
The Bulls were dealt a critical blow when they learned point guard Rajon Rondo is likely to miss a couple weeks because of a broken thumb. He was playing well early in the series and the team will miss his ball distributing capabilities.
Jerian Grant started in his place in Game 3 but finished with only six points and had four turnovers without an assist. Rondo has plenty of big game experience, and Chicago is going to struggle without him the rest of the way.
Rondo’s absence must be considered when it comes to predicting the outcome in the ensuing games.
Free NBA ATS Pick
The Celtics finally got back on track last time out, but will still be in a perilous spot if they can’t figure out a way to claim Game 4. If their defense plays as well as it did last time out it shouldn’t be a problem, but Chicago has shown it can handle the Celtics, especially down low.
Boston found a groove last time out and now should be able to keep riding that wave. The loss of Rondo cannot be understated, as the Bulls have to adjust on the fly just as they were hoping to take command of this series.
The Celtics should be favored once again and should be able to cover the spread, but this one won’t be the blowout that Game 3 was. Even so, Boston will win to get the series back to 2-2 as it goes back to Boston.
NBA Odds: Celtics 107, Bulls 102
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