The Boston Celtics surpassed the Cavaliers late in the season for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, and now will have home court advantage for every series up until the NBA Finals. They hope to get off to a fast start in the first round against the Chicago Bulls.
Boston will certainly be the favorite in this game and in the series, but it’s not the easiest of matchups. Chicago has done a nice job this season against top teams and won’t roll over as it has plenty of experienced players.
While a few of the first round series don’t figure to be too competitive, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Bulls come away with a couple of victories despite this being a 1-8 matchup.
This war on the floor will go down Sunday, April 16, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. ET at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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
The Celtics are 7.5-point favorites in the opening game of the series since they are the top seed and have the home court advantage. While they are expected to win this series, the odds aren’t overwhelming.
Boston is listed at -450 to win the series on the moneyline, while Chicago is +351. The Bulls are getting a little bit more of the early action.
The Celtics went 53-29 straight up and 41-40-1 against the spread during the regular season. They finished with only 17 covers in 41 home games and hope to do better in this one. Boston was 30-31 against the spread as the favorite during the season.
The Bulls finished the year 41-41 straight up and 42-40 against the spread. Chicago covered 21 times in 41 attempts on the road, and went 27-18 against the spread as the underdog.
Season Series
These two teams split the season series, which will give Chicago confidence that it can make this a competitive series. The Bulls won the first game of the year over Boston, 105-99 before the Celtics answered with a 107-100 victory less than a week later.
The Bulls eked out a 104-103 victory in Chicago in February before the Celtics got even with a blowout win in the final matchup.
Boston should feel good about the most recent win, but Chicago knows it can compete in this game. Don’t be fooled by the seedings because this isn’t an easy matchup for the Celtics.
Player to Watch
Isaiah Thomas -- The Celtics’ diminutive guard had a fantastic season, and in a series in which points could sometimes be at a premium, he will be the driving force in filling it up for Boston. Thomas had 28.9 points and 5.9 assists per game on average during the season, shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from three-point range.
Before playing limited minutes in the season finale, Thomas had scored 26 or more points in his previous four games, including 35 against the Hawks and 32 against the Hornets. He is liable to go off for 30-plus in any game and will be a tough player to stop for Chicago.
The Bulls will have Rajon Rondo to guard him as a wrist injury that was feared to be significant was only minor, and he’s been cleared. Rondo was a former all-star in Boston but isn’t the same player he once was.
Free NBA ATS Pick
The Celtics worked hard to pass the Cavaliers for home court should they meet in the Eastern Conference Finals, but Boston has to get there first. The Celtics would like to get off to a hot start with an easy win over the Bulls.
Chicago, though, is playing well and will be a thorn in Boston’s side all series. Take the Celtics to win the first matchup, but not by enough to cover the spread.
NBA Odds: Celtics 102, Bulls 98
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