Cleveland Cavaliers at Chicago Bulls NBA Picks & Predictions 3/17/2018

Saturday, March 17, 2018

United Center

Get todays NBA odds and lines on this game.

The Cleveland Cavaliers travel to United Center to play the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, March 17, 2018. The opening line for this matchup has Cleveland as 6 point favorites.

The Cavaliers head into this matchup with a mark of 39-29. They are 2nd in the Central Division. They currently have a point differential of 0.1 as they are averaging 110.2 points per contest while giving up 110.1 per game. The Bulls have an overall mark of 24-44. They currently are 5th in the Central Division. They are averaging 103.6 points per contest and giving up 109.5, which is a point differential of -5.9.

Valuable Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Trends

The Cleveland Cavaliers are 22-45-1 against the spread

The Cleveland Cavaliers are 33-33-2 against the over/under

Important Chicago Bulls Betting Trends

The Chicago Bulls are 36-30-2 against the spread

The Chicago Bulls are 36-32-0 against the over/under

Key Cleveland Cavaliers Injuries

03/16/18 F Larry Nance Jr. Hamstring is "?" Saturday vs Chicago
03/04/18 C Tristan Thompson Ankle is out indefinitely
01/30/18 F Kevin Love Hand is out indefinitely

Key Chicago Bulls Injuries

03/15/18 F Lauri Markkanen Back is "?" Saturday vs Cleveland
03/15/18 F Paul Zipser Foot is "?" Saturday vs Cleveland

Player Spotlight

Lebron James comes into this contest averaging 27 points per game while playing 37 minutes per night so far this season for the Cavaliers. He pulls down 8.6 rebounds per game and dishes out 9 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 54% while his free throw percentage is currently at 73%. Jordan Clarkson averages 14.3 points per game in 23.4 minutes per contest this season. He averages 3 assists per contest and 2.9 rebounds per game for Cleveland. His field goal percentage is 45% for the year while his free throw percentage is 78%.

Player Spotlight

Zach Lavine averages 16.7 points per game while playing 27.3 minutes per contest this year for the Bulls. He grabs 4 rebounds per game and has 3 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 38% and his free throw percentage currently is at 81%. Kris Dunn averages 13.4 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 29.3 minutes per contest. He also averages 4.3 rebounds per contest and 6 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 43% and his free throw percentage is 73%.

Useful Team Statistics

Cleveland averages 110.2 points per contest this season, which ranks them 5th in the NBA. Their average scoring margin is 0.15 and their shooting percentage is 48% as a team, which has them ranked 5th. Behind the arc they shoot 37% which is good for 10th in the league. They average 41.9 rebounds per game and 23.5 assists per game, which ranks them 23rd and 10th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 17th with 14 per game. The Cavaliers allow 110.1 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 26th in the league. They also allow a 47% shooting percentage and a 37% average from behind the arc, ranking them 24th and 21st in those defensive categories. Opponents average 44.5 rebounds a game which ranks 23rd and they give up 25.7 assists per contest, which puts them in 29th place in the league. They force 13.6 turnovers per game which ranks them 5th in the league.

Useful Team Statistics

Chicago is 23rd in the league with 103.6 points per game this year. They are 29th in the league in shooting at 44%, while their average scoring margin is -5.88. They shoot 36% from 3-point range, which is good for 19th in the NBA. They are 7th in the league in rebounding with 44.7 boards per game, and 9th in assists per contest with 23.5. The Bulls are 24th in turnovers per game with 13.7. The Bulls surrender 109.5 points per contest, which ranks them 24th in the NBA. Their defense is allowing a 47% shooting percentage and a 37% average from 3-point range, ranking them 23rd and 23rd in those defensive statistics. They rank 28th with 25.5 assists allowed per contest and 28th with 45.6 rebounds surrendered per game. The Bulls are 3rd in the NBA in forcing turnovers with 13.3 per game this season.

Advanced Statistics

The Cavaliers are 5th in the league in defensive rating with 111.9, and their offensive rating of 112 is ranked 3rd. They are 11th in the NBA in pace with 98.1 possessions per 48 minutes, and their eFG% of 55% is 3rd. As a unit they are 3rd in the league in true shooting percentage with 58% and they shoot 3-pointers on 39% of their shot attempts, ranking 3rd in the NBA. Cleveland is 17th in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 12.9 times per 100 possessions while forcing 12.2 on defense. Their defensive eFG% for the year currently is 54%, which is 5th in the NBA.

Advanced Statistics

Chicago is 26th in the NBA in turnovers, as they turn the ball over an average of 12.3 times per 100 possessions while forcing 12.2 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 54%, which is 6th in the league. The Bulls are 27th in the NBA in offensive rating with 104.4, and their defensive rating of 110.3 is ranked 10th. In terms of pace they are 9th in the league with 98.2 possessions per 48 minutes, and their effective field goal percentage of 50% is 28th. As a team they are 28th in the NBA in true shooting percentage with 53% and they shoot 3-pointers on 35% of their shots, ranking 12th in the league.

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

Guy's Pick: Take Chicago +6

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