Chicago Bulls at Portland Trail Blazers Betting Preview
Get ready for a clash of Eastern versus Western Conference on Wednesday as the Chicago Bulls (10-4) square off with the Portland Trail Blazers (7-8). The Trail Blazers will host this one at the Moda Center, with tipoff scheduled for 10:00 pm ET.
The Bulls have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA this season and come into this one off of back-to-back wins at the Staples Center over the Clippers (100-90) and the Lakers (121-103).
In the win Monday over the Lakers, DeMar DeRozan led all scorers with 38 points. Lonzo Ball (27 points, seven rebounds, eight assists) and Zach LaVine (26 points, five rebounds, five assists) also had big nights.
While the Trail Blazers have gotten off to a sluggish 7-8 start this season, they have played exceptionally well at home. They are currently 6-1 at the Moda Center, including a 118-113 win over the Toronto Raptors in their last outing. In the win, CJ McCollum had 29 points while Damian Lillard added 24.
The Trail Blazers are the slight favorites playing at home. They are -116 to win while the Bulls’ moneyline sits at -102. The spread features Chicago +1 (-110), and the over/under for total points is 220 (-110).
More Odds
The Bulls currently have the fifth-best odds of winning the Eastern Conference this season at +1400. The Trail Blazers are +3000 to win the West.
In terms of winning the NBA Finals, the Bulls are +3900 to win it all while the Trail Blazers are +8000.
By The Numbers
The Trail Blazers hold a slight edge in terms of scoring this season. They currently rank 11th averaging 109.2 points per game (116.4 at home). The Bulls rank 13th averaging 108.6 points per game.
Defensively, it is Chicago with the big edge. They rank fourth in scoring defense, allowing opponents just 102.7 points per game. The Trail Blazers rank 20th allowing 109.3 points per game.
Bulls Taking The East By Storm
While it is still really early in the season, Bulls’ fans couldn’t be more excited by how the offseason additions of DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, and Alex Caruso are gelling. They currently sit in second in the Eastern Conference, just a half-game behind the Wizards.
Granted, it is a long season, and the Bulls will eventually come down to Earth a bit, but for now, they are playing some really good basketball.
Leading the way offensively are DeRozan and shooting guard Zach LaVine. DeRozan is averaging 26.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. Not to be outdone, LaVine is averaging 25.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists.
Other major contributors include Ball (12.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.9 steals) and Caruso (7.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 2.5 steals).
Trail Blazers May Be Very Shorthanded
Unfortunately, the last thing you want when you are off to a slow start is injuries, but that is the reality that the Trail Blazers may be dealing with. As of Tuesday night, both Damian Lillard (abdominal) and Norman Powell (ankle) are questionable for Wednesday’s game.
If those two can’t go, it puts even more pressure on shooting guard CJ McCollum. To date, he is Portland’s leading scorer averaging 21.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.
Other contributors include Anfernee Simons (11.9 points, 2.5 rebounds), Jusuf Nurkic (10.6 points, 11.1 rebounds), and Nassir Little (7.9 points, 5.5 rebounds).
Take Bulls To Win
This one might come down to the actives and inactives. Given the brutal West coast swing the Bulls are on, it would not be surprising to see them have a letdown at some point this trip.
However, if both Damian Lillard and Normal Powell are out, the Bulls just have too much depth for the Trail Blazers to keep up.
Keep an eye on who is active and who is not, but if Lillard and Powell are out, expect the Bulls to win this one pretty handily.
