Indiana Pacers vs. Chicago Bulls Prediction, NBA Odds
The surging Chicago Bulls pulled into a tie for top spot in the Eastern Conference following a 109-103 home win against the Knicks on Sunday. Chicago has a quick turnaround as they get set to face the Pacers at home on Monday night. Indiana is struggling to stay afloat as they sit near the bottom of the East, but they’re hoping their 111-94 home win against the Pelicans on Saturday is a sign of things to come.
The Bulls are 3-point favourites to win on the NBA odds, with a total of 211.5.
Pacers vs. Bulls NBA Betting Odds
Chicago took two of three games in the season series last year, winning twice in Indiana. Those victories broke a 10-game win streak that the Pacers held in the all-time head-to-head series. The total has gone Over in five of the last six games between these teams.
Indiana has struggled on the road this season, winning just two of 11 games. They’re 9-9 against the spread overall, including 4-7 ATS on the road. A lack of offence has led to the total going Under in eight of the Pacers’ last 10 games overall and seven of their last eight on the road.
With the deepest Eastern Conference in years, it’s a bit of a surprise to see the Bulls at the top of the standings. Chicago is 12-5 overall, including 6-2 at home this season. They’ve been a great cover option, going 12-5 ATS and covering in six of eight home games. The total has gone Under in four of Chicago’s last six games.
Indiana Pacers
Indiana’s road woes this year include their current three-game skid when playing away from home court. The Pacers’ win against the Pelicans was a step in the right direction, but they’ll still need to improve their road record drastically to have any shot at the playoffs. Domantas Sabonis led the way against New Orleans, finishing with a game-high 20 points to go along with 10 rebounds and six assists. Justin Holiday added 17 points, while Malcolm Brogdon had 16. Brogdon is averaging a team-high 21.2 points per game and 6.0 assists. Sabonis is averaging 17.8 points and a team-high 11.1 rebounds. Myles Turner leads the NBA with 3.0 blocks per game and was a big factor in Indiana’s 16 forced turnovers on Saturday.
Chicago Bulls
The main question mark in this game is the availability of centre Nikola Vucevic. Vucevic has been in isolation since a positive COVID test on Nov. 11, but he has reportedly been cleared to return to the Bulls. Coach Billy Donovan said Vucevic wasn’t able to train while in isolation and needs to pass cardiovascular tests to return to the lineup, but he wouldn’t rule him out for Monday’s game. Vucevic is a big piece of this team. He averages a team-high 10.9 blocks per game and he’s the third-leading scorer behind DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, with 13.6 ppg. DeRozan leads the team with 26.8 points, while LaVine averages 26.5. Chicago’s defence has also been playing at a high level, holding three of their last four opponents to under 100 points.
IND
CHI