Chicago Bulls vs Boston Celtics Prediction 12/19/2024
| Game Time | 7:30 pm EST |
| Chicago Bulls Line | +14.5 |
| Boston Celtics Line | -14.5 |
| Total | 243.5 |
| TV: | NBA TV |
Below is a detailed analysis of the Chicago Bulls vs Boston Celtics game and Nick’s Prediction:
PREGAME WARM-UP:
Two teams sitting in and out of the playoff places of the Eastern Conference are clashing today when the defending champions Boston Celtics are hosting the Chicago Bulls. The Celtics are enjoying an extremely successful season so far, as they are the second-best team in the East, and have been steadily good throughout the season. They have lost just once in their last six games but failed to cover in all but one of their last five games. The Bulls are coming off a win that snapped their previous two-game losing streak, and are now back on the road, where they have been playing their best basketball of the season.
Chicago Bulls vs Boston Celtics Prediction
Boston Celtics Injury Report: Kristaps Porzingis, Xavier Tillman and Sam Hauser are day-to-day
Chicago Bulls Injury Report: Z. LaVine, E. Liddell, D. Terry, and Josh Giddey our day-to-day
Boston Celtics Form and Trends
The Celtics have a 21-5 record this season and are sitting in second place in the East. Boston is 10-16 against the spread and 12-13-1 in over/under. The Celtics have an 11-3 home record but are just 5-9 against the spread, with a +8.9-point differential. Boston is 10-2 in their last 12 games, but just 3-9 against the spread. Under is 3-1 in their last 4 games.
Boston is coming off a 112-98 win in Washington, even though they shot with just 43% from the field. All of Boston’s starters scored double digits, led by Jason Tatum with 28 points, and a team-high 12 rebounds.
Tatum leads Boston in scoring this season, with an average of 28.2 points, adding 9 rebounds and a team-high 5.6 assists. Jaylen Brown adds 23.8 points, 6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists.
Chicago Bulls Recent Form and Trends
The Bulls have an 11-15 record this season and are tied with the Pacers in the 8th place in the East. The Bulls are 13-13 against the spread and 15-11 in over/under. Chicago has a 7-6 road record and is 7-6 against the spread with a -1.3-point differential. The Bulls are 4-2 against the spread in their last 6 games.
The Bulls are coming off a 109-95 win over Charlotte, even though they shot with just 40% from the field and 27% from beyond the arc. All of Chicago’s starters scored double digits, led by Ayo Dosunmu with 19 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Zach LaVine leads the Bulls in scoring with an average of 21.7 points, adding 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Nikola Vucevic adds 21 points and a team-high 9.8 rebounds.
Statistical Breakdown
Offensively, the Celtics are third-best in the NBA with 119.9 points per game. They shoot 45.8% from the field (19th) and 37.2% from beyond the arc (11th). Defensively, they allow 109.8 points per game, which is 8th in the league.
Offensively, the Bulls average 118.7 points per game, which is the fifth-best in the NBA. Chicago shoots 47.5% from the field (9th) and 37.9% from beyond the arc (7th). Defensively, they are the second-worst team in the NBA, allowing 121.9 points per game.
In their previous meeting earlier this season, the Celtics won 138-129 on the road. The Celtics are 8-2 in their last 10 meetings against the Bulls, but they are just 4-6 against the spread. The over is 4-0 in their last 4 meetings.
Prediction
In this Chicago Bulls vs Boston Celtics Prediction, the Celtics are coming as -14.5 home favorites. Boston is the superior team and rightfully favored, but the books are overvaluing them, resulting in a large spread that they eventually do not cover. The Celtics are just 10-16 against the spread this season and 3-9 in their last 12 games, and just like most of their recent games, I expect them to win, but I’m not sure they can cover a large number. Their previous meeting this season had a whopping 267 total points, as the third-best offense meets the second-worst defense. I expect another high-scoring affair, so take the over-the-point total. Nick’s Pick: Over 243.5 Also check out http://members.tonyspicks.com/cappers/71