The Chicago Bulls are 10-5 straight up and 9-5-1 against the spread in their last 15 games against the Boston Celtics. The Bulls will try to head into the All-Star break on a high note with a win on Thursday night at home against Boston.
Celtics vs. Bulls 2017 odds: Chicago a small home favorite against Boston on Thursday
The Chicago Bulls will try to solve the red-hot Boston Celtics on Thursday night at the United Center as small betting favorites at the sportsbooks.
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Chicago is a 1-point home favorite at the United Center at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. In their last two games at home, the Bulls are 2-0 SU and ATS.
The Bulls looked awful in the final three games of their six-game road trip last week, losing by 31 points at Golden State, 18 points at Phoenix, and 28 points at Minnesota. But after allowing 116.6 points per game over their previous six games, the Bulls put together a surprisingly strong performance on defense in a 105-94 win over the Toronto Raptors as 4-point home underdogs.
Chicago’s defense will be tested again against the Eastern Conference’s third highest-scoring offense, as the Celtics average 108.3 points per game.
Since starting the season off with an 11-7 SU and 12-6 ATS record, Chicago is 16-22 SU and 15-23 ATS, per the OddsShark NBA Database.
Betting Line / Total: Chicago -1 / 212 Points
Trend: The Bulls are 9-5-1 ATS in their last 15 games against the Celtics.
Trend: The Celtics are 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS in their last four games.
With Toronto struggling and Cleveland looking vulnerable, Boston looks to have a legitimate shot at taking over the top seed in the Eastern Conference over the remainder of the season. The Celtics are 11-1 SU over their last 12 games, bringing their record to 37-19 SU and 30-25-1 ATS on the year. Boston’s offense has averaged 114.8 points per game over the team’s current 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS hot streak.
Thursday night’s total is set at 212. The UNDER is 5-2 in Boston’s last seven games and 3-1 in Chicago’s last four games.
Given that the Celtics, at +2200 on the odds to win the NBA championship, have struggled against the Bulls in recent seasons, this shouldn’t be a game that Boston takes lightly. Boston enters on a roll away from home as well, with three straight road wins and a 4-1 SU and ATS record in its last five road games.
Chicago’s 105-94 win over Toronto and 128-100 win over Oklahoma City this month show that the Bulls are dangerous when they put it all together, but those efforts have been inconsistent all season long.
Boston Celtics at Chicago Bulls
When: Thursday, Feb. 16, 8:00 p.m. ET
Where: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
