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Portland Trail Blazers vs Chicago Bulls: Can the Bulls reach the top 6 in the East?
The Portland Trail Blazers are visiting the Chicago Bulls at United Center on Monday.
The Blazers have lost the last two games
The Portland Trail Blazers are 14th in the Western Conference with a 19-48 record. They have lost 3 of the last 4 games and are coming off a 126-107 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. The Blazers are among the bottom three teams in the league with 107.7 points per game while shooting only 44.2% from the field. Anfernee Simons is leading the team with 23.1 points per game while the third pick of the last NBA Draft, Scoot Henderson, averages 12.6 points and 4.7 assists per game.
The Bulls are struggling with injuries
The Chicago Bulls are ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 33-35 record. They have lost three of the last five games but are coming off a 127-98 win over the Washington Wizards. The Bulls are 22nd in the league, scoring 112.1 points per game, and are ranked tenth in the league, shooting 79.2% from the free throw line. DeMar DeRozan leads the team with 23.2 points per game for the season, followed by Coby White with 19.5.
Betting Trends
Chicago is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 games overall against Portland but 3-9 ATS in the last 12 home games against the Blazers. The Bulls are 2-5 ATS in the last 7 home games. The Blazers are 7-3 ATS in the last 10 games overall and 5-1 ATS in the last 6 games on the road.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Chicago Bulls have a season full of challenges. Their starting point guard, Lonzo Ball, is missing the second consecutive season and has just recently been cleared to practice. Meanwhile, Zach LaVine is shut down for the season, and Coby White has also missed some time. Still, the Bulls are quite comfortable in the play-in zone and have a legit chance to reach the top six in the East. The Blazers have no chance to save the season and are already focused on the next one. This game is way more important for the Bulls, and with DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic on top of their game, Chicago will win this one by covering the -8-point spread.
