The Cleveland Cavaliers may be the defending NBA champions and the best team in the Eastern Conference, but the Chicago Bulls have had their number this season. The Bulls were underdogs in each of the previous two matches but were able to pull the upsets, rewarding those who chose them on the moneyline quite handsomely.
Even though Chicago is 2-0 against Cleveland this year, the Cavs will still be heavy favorites in this matchup. They are the superior team and get this game at home, so there’s no question they will be giving the points.
This war on the floor will go down Saturday, February 25, 2017, at 8:30 p.m. ET at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The game will be televised live on ABC.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Saturday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Cavaliers are 39-16 straight up and 26-27-1 against the spread. Cleveland has played in 29 home games this season and has gone 15-12-2 against the spread in those contests. The Cavaliers are 24-22-2 against the spread as the favorite on the season.
The Bulls are 28-29 straight up and also 28-29 against the spread. Chicago has played in 29 road games this season and has covered in 14 of them. The Bulls are 17-13 against the spread as the underdog this season.
Trade Deadline Watch
There are rumors going around that Jimmy Butler could get traded away from the Bulls. The trading deadline is Thursday night, so keep an eye on if he moves. Obviously, if that happens, Chicago will be giving up on this season and looking toward the future.
Butler is averaging 24.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per contest and could be the missing piece for a team looking to move into title contention. If the Bulls part ways with him, they will be looking for a lot in return.
The Bulls are currently in the playoff hunt as the No. 7 seed and will likely make it if Butler remains, but without a high ceiling, Chicago management is considering the trade since there isn’t a realistic chance at advancing deep into the playoffs this year.
The spread could change greatly if Butler is dealt. Cleveland is going to be the favorite no matter what, but the Bulls will have little to no chance if Butler is in fact traded before this matchup.
Player to Watch
Tristan Thompson -- The Cavaliers are still without All-Star power forward Kevin Love, who is averaging a double-double on the season. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving are more than enough to lead the team to victory, but Thompson could be counted on to be more involved down low without Love in the mix.
Thompson is averaging 8.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per contest but could see an uptick in those numbers without Love competing for shots and boards. The Bulls have some decent frontcourt players but no one overly scary.
Thompson should be able to hold up fine and the Cavs won’t be feeling the absence of Love too badly in this one.
Free NBA ATS Pick
The Bulls won the first two games of the seasons series behind solid play from Butler. If he is still on the team, he will aim to have another big effort.
The Cavs lost the first game to Chicago without Love or Irving in the lineup, so that was somewhat understandable. But James was very upset after the most recent loss and will undoubtedly remind his team of it before this one.
The Bulls have played the Cave tough this season but the pendulum is going to swing strongly in the other direction in this one. Take Cleveland in a rout, even without Love on the floor.
NBA Odds: Cavaliers 112, Bulls 96
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