These two teams haven’t met since October, when the Bulls managed a narrow 97-95 victory. Cleveland has Kyrie Irving back to help in the backcourt and will be playing on the familiar wood in search of revenge.
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ODDS ANALYSIS
The spread hasn’t been kind to the Bulls in their last seven games with them failing to cover six of them. In general, Chicago’s been struggling thanks to a defense that’s been unable to contain the opposition.
On the other side of the court, Cleveland has been the better bet in the short term going 5-4-1 ATS in their last 10 games, but the Cavs are under-.500 ATS overall and at home.
WHEN THE CHICAGO BULLS ARE ON OFFENSE
As an offense, the Bulls are an average team. They’re scoring 101.9 PPG, but are struggling with accuracy, shooting just 43.4 percent from the floor. The saving grace for Chicago is their rebounding game where they’ve notched an NBA best 48.8 RPG.
Chicago will have its work cut out for it on offense Saturday as the Cavs boast the second best defense in the NBA, allowing only 95.6 PPG.
Causing more of a challenge is the loss of center Joakim Noah, a big part of their rebounding game. The big man has missed most of the last three games and Chicago has gone 1-2 SU and ATS in his absence.
Back on January 15 when Noah went down the Bulls scored just 77 in a loss against Dallas.
Overall, Chicago has scored at least 100 in 14 of its last 16 games so it had been consistent up until this current rough patch.
The game against Dallas appears to be a fluke while their latest outing they fell 125-94 against Golden State. Look for the Bulls to bounce back over 100 points, but keep an eye on their production early.
Jimmy Butler, Pau Gasol and Derrick Rose form an impressive trio. Perhaps the key, however, are the guards. Watch how well they’re able to handle Kyrie Irving and company. If they get off to a fast start, don’t be afraid to jump on the bandwagon.
WHEN THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS ARE ON OFFENSE
The Cavaliers’ offense is averaging 101 PPG, but it’s been four straight games now with the unit scoring fewer than 100 points.
A return home could help as only one of those games came there. In fact, the Cavs have scored at least 104 in five of their last seven home games.
Keep an eye on which Cleveland team shows up early: the recent team with offensive struggles or the team that hung at least 120 in three straight games earlier this month.
Over their last three games, LeBron James has been part of the disappointing offensive output. He’s averaging 25.1 PPG, but has scored fewer than 20 in each of the last three games. Joining him in his downturn is guard Kyrie Irving.
Irving had been a beast since returning from injury, putting together a number of 20-point performances and a 15.8 PPG average. In his last two games however, the former Duke guard has scored a grand total of just 17 points.
Meanwhile, Kevin Love had a huge game in the team’s latest win, scoring 17 with 18 rebounds. He’s delivered five double-doubles in six games, but in his three prior to his outburst against the Nets, he was limited to 24 total points.
There’s no question that Cleveland has the firepower on offense, but it’s all about the production of that trio. Love has already started to break out of a funk and LeBron’s still been productive, even if scoring less than normal for him. If Irving can put together a strong opening on Saturday, back Cleveland.
BETTING TRENDS AND MATCHUPS
For those looking to play the total, the under has been a successful play over the Cavs’ offensive downturn, but watch out for the Bulls’ defensive woes. A couple hiccups on offense aren’t likely to prevent them from another strong performance.
There’s a lot to get excited for in this game, but a lot of questions, too. Watch how Irving bounces back from his last two games, if LeBron is able to get back his swagger and whether the Bulls can compete on the glass with Noah out.
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The matchup between the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers will start at 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 23, 2016, at Quicken Loans Arena. Watch the game live on ABC.
