Chicago Bulls vs. Boston Celtics Game 2 Preview
Where: TD Garden, Boston
When: Tuesday, April 18, 2017, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Chicago Bulls (+7.5) vs. Boston Celtics (-7.5); total: 206.0 – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: TNT
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Betting on the Chicago Bulls (+280)
Jimmy Butler got Chicago’s back in Game 1, as the Bulls dealt Boston a 106-102 defeat Sunday to take the series opener.
Butler dropped 30 points on the Celtics, showing that playoffs Jimmy is better than regular season Jimmy when up against Boston. In four regular season meetings with Boston, Butler averaged 20.3 points. That said, Butler is going to need more out of Nikola Mirotic and Dwyane Wade moving forward. Mirotic scored just four points on a salty 1-for-9 shooting from the field, while Wade scored just 11 in 34 minutes.
Perhaps just as instrumental for the Bulls in Game 1 was Robin Lopez, who had a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds, including eight on the offensive glass. Lopez led Chicago’s domination on the boards, as the team outrebounded Boston by a wide margin, 53-36. Winning the rebounding battle is key in slowing down Boston’s offense that ranked seventh in the regular season.
Bobby Portis came off the bench in Game 1 and fired 19 points while hauling down nine rebounds. Performances like that from the Bulls’ second unit help take some pressure off Butler and the Bulls’ other main gunners. Chicago’s bench outscored its Boston counterparts in Game 1, 35-22.
Betting on the Boston Celtics (-340)
A death in the family didn’t stop Isaiah Thomas from producing his normal scoring numbers in Game 1, as the point guard put up 33 points to go with five rebounds and six assists in the loss.
Thomas shot 10-for-12 from the field and probably wished his teammates were at least as accurate as him from the floor. The Celtics shot just 43 percent in Game 1 with Avery Bradley going 5-for-13 for 14 points. Jae Crowder was 4-for-12 and finished with just nine points.
Bradley and Crowder are sweating a little bit more hounding Butler in Game 1 but that’s not an excuse not to choose shots wisely on the other end of the floor. Crowder was 1-for-5 from deep in Game 1.
Boston’s outside shooting was great overall on Sunday, as the Celtics sank 14t threes on 38 attempts. Chicago doesn’t shoot nor make as much (made eight in Game 1 and ranked third worst in the league in three-point shooting in the regular season) so expect the Celtics to win this area. Boston finished the regular season third overall with 12.0 threes per game on 35.9% shooting.
Writer’s Prediction
Boston (-7.5) wins, 110-107.
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