Chicago Bulls at Indiana Pacers NBA Picks & Predictions 1/6/2018

Saturday, January 6, 2018

Bankers Life Fieldhouse

Get todays NBA odds and lines on this game.

The Chicago Bulls travel to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to play the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, January 6, 2018. The opening line for this matchup has Indiana as 2 point favorites.

The Bulls come into this game with an overall record of 13-25. They are 5th in the Central Division. They currently have a point differential of -5.6 as they are averaging 101.4 points per game while giving up 107.0 per contest. The Pacers have an overall record of 19-19. They currently are 4th in the Central Division. They are averaging 106.8 points per game and surrendering 107.4, good for a point differential of -0.6.

Valuable Chicago Bulls Betting Trends

The Chicago Bulls are 22-14-2 against the spread

The Chicago Bulls are 21-17-0 against the over/under

Important Indiana Pacers Betting Trends

The Indiana Pacers are 20-18-0 against the spread

The Indiana Pacers are 17-20-1 against the over/under

Key Chicago Bulls Injuries

No key injuries to report

Key Indiana Pacers Injuries

09/29/17 G Glenn Robinson III Ankle is out indefinitely
01/05/18 G Victor Oladipo Knee is "?" Saturday vs Chicago

Player Spotlight

Lauri Markkanen averages 14.9 points per game in 29.7 minutes per contest this season. He averages 1.3 assists per contest and 7.6 rebounds per game for Chicago. His field goal percentage is 42% for the year while his free throw percentage is 83%. Kris Dunn comes into this contest averaging 13.3 points per game while playing 28.9 minutes per night so far this season for the Bulls. He pulls down 4.8 rebounds per game and dishes out 6 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 43% while his free throw percentage is currently at 70%.

Player Spotlight

Myles Turner averages 13.9 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 29.6 minutes per contest. He also averages 6.6 rebounds per contest and 1.6 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 48% and his free throw percentage is 76%. Bojan Bogdanovic averages 13.8 points per game while playing 31.3 minutes per contest this year for the Pacers. He grabs 3.2 rebounds per game and has 1.4 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 47% and his free throw percentage currently is at 84%.

Useful Team Statistics

The Bulls allow 107 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 20th in the league. They also allow a 46% shooting percentage and a 36% average from behind the arc, ranking them 15th and 14th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 45.6 rebounds a game which ranks 28th, and they give up 24.4 assists per contest which puts them in 27th place in the league. They force 12.7 turnovers per game which ranks them 1st in the league. Chicago averages 101.4 points per contest this season, which ranks them 25th in the NBA. Their average scoring margin is -5.63 and their shooting percentage is 44% as a team, which has them ranked 30th. Behind the arc they shoot 35% which is good for 24th in the league. They average 45.1 rebounds per game and 23.7 assists per game, which ranks them 6th and 5th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 24th with 13.8 per game.

Useful Team Statistics

The Pacers surrender 107.4 points per contest, which ranks them 23rd in the NBA. Their defense is allowing a 47% shooting percentage and a 37% average from 3-point range, ranking them 26th and 21st in those defensive statistics. They rank 26th with 24.2 assists allowed per contest, and 14th with 43 rebounds surrendered per game. The Pacers are 21st in the NBA in forcing turnovers with 15 per game this season. Indiana is 10th in the league with 106.8 points per game this year. They are 4th in the league in shooting at 48%, while their average scoring margin is -0.61. They shoot 38% from 3-point range, which is good for 2nd in the NBA. They are 22nd in the league in rebounding with 41.7 boards per game and 13th in assists per contest with 22.7. The Pacers are 25th in turnovers per game with 13.8.

Advanced Statistics

The Bulls are 29th in the NBA in offensive rating with 103, and their defensive rating of 108.7 is ranked 15th. In terms of pace they are 11th in the league with 97.7 possessions per 48 minutes, and their effective field goal percentage of 50% is 28th. As a team they are 30th in the NBA in true shooting percentage with 53% and they shoot 3-pointers on 34% of their shots, ranking 15th in the league. Chicago is 26th in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 12.5 times per 100 possessions while forcing 11.7 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 53%, which is 11th in the league.

Advanced Statistics

Indiana is 23rd in the league in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 12.7 times per 100 possessions while forcing 13.6 on defense. Their defensive eFG% for the year currently is 54%, which is 5th in the NBA. The Pacers are 9th in the league in defensive rating with 110.3, and their offensive rating of 109.7 is ranked 6th. They are 15th in the NBA in pace with 96.9 possessions per 48 minutes, and their eFG% of 53% is 7th. As a unit they are 8th in the league in true shooting percentage with 56% and they shoot 3-pointers on 29% of their shot attempts, ranking 26th in the NBA.

Who will win tonight's Bulls/Pacers NBA game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take Indiana -2

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