After taking Thanksgiving Thursday off, NBA basketball resumes this Friday night and it will be another busy one with 12 games on deck. One of those games include a showdown between two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, as the Chicago Bulls look to end their four-game road trip on a winning note when they square off with the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Can the Bulls come away with the win?
Read on below for a comprehensive breakdown of this intriguing matchup. For more NBA action, checkout our other previews of the Cavs vs. Hornets and Heat vs. Knicks.
[sc:NBAArticles ]
Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers Preview
Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
When: Friday, November 27, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Chicago Bulls (+2.5) at Indiana Pacers (-2.5); total: 199.0 – view all NBA lines
Betting on the Chicago Bulls (9-4)
[sc:NBA240banner ]The Chicago Bulls are back to their winning ways. They successfully redeemed themselves from a tough loss to the Golden State Warriors by beating the Damian Lillard-led Portland Trail Blazers Tuesday night. It was their backcourt duo of Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler who led the way for the Bulls.
Rose, who made his return after missing the last two games with an ankle injury, tallied 17 points and six dimes while shooting the ball 7-for-20. Butler, on the other hand, came up huge as always, finishing with a game-high of 22 points and was a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe to help the team achieve its ninth win of the season. Up next on their schedule is an impending clash with the Indiana Pacers.
For them to pick up the road win once more, the Bulls’ defense, which ranks sixth-best in the league in terms of defensive efficiency, will need to prevent Paul George (25.9 PPG) from getting to his sweet spots all game long. Besides him, they also have to keep in check C.J. Miles, who’s fresh off a 32-point outburst opposite the Wizards.
Once they manage to silence George and Miles, the offense is bound to follow for them. Expect Rose and Butler to build on their respective efforts versus the Blazers while Pau Gasol, who posted 12 points and 14 boards in the same game, to have another solid outing against a Pacers squad that’s allowing 43.4 points in the paint (eighth-most in the league).
Chicago is 6-4 SU and 4-6 ATS in its last 10 encounters with Indiana.
After kicking of their 2015-16 campaign with three-straight losses, the Indiana Pacers have gathered steam since then. They’ve won nine of their next 11 contests and are currently on a three-game winning streak. As a result, they’ve improved their record to 9-5, good for the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference. Now, the Pacers look to keep rolling when the Chicago Bulls come to town tonight.
All eyes are going to be on their superstar Paul George in this one. George is fresh off his highest-scoring performance of the year against the Washington Wizards. He erupted for 40 points with eight rebounds and knocked down seven three-pointers to lead his Pacers to a 123-106 triumph . The 25-year-old small forward will definitely strive to sustain this momentum .
Apart from George, the Bulls also need to pay close attention to the pair of C.J. Miles and Monta Ellis, who can get streaky at any give moment. The two guards are averaging 28.6 PPG combined thus far this season.
However, the Pacers are will have to really work for the points this time around. They’re up against a defensive-minded Bulls squad that’s only giving up 98.5 points per game, which is among fewest in the NBA right now.
Plus, they cannot slack off on defense in this game since Derrick Rose (13.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG and 6.0 APG) and Jimmy Butler (21.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG and 3.3 APG) are going to be very aggressive in getting their points.
Indiana is 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS in its past five home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Pacers (-2.5) win this one, 95-91, thanks to another huge performance from Mr. Paul George.
