An NBA non-conference game will take place Monday evening when the Portland Trail Blazers (19-48, 14th in the West) heading east to face the Chicago Bulls (33-35, 9th in the East). Portland is coming off a 126-107 loss at New Orleans, failing to qualify as a 12.5-point underdog. Chicago just beat Washington 127-98 at home, winning and covering as a 9.5-point favorite. This is the second and final meeting between these teams, as they met in January and the Bulls won by eight on the road. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 a.m. EST from the United Center in Chicago.
Want more winners in the NBA? Go here to learn more NBA Pick!
Newly eliminated
The Portland Trail Blazers have joined the unfortunate list of teams already eliminated from the NBA Playoffs. They join the Spurs in the West, and the Wizards and Pistons in the East as the four teams mathematically eliminated. The Blazers are also decimated by injuries, as they played their last game against New Orleans without five players who would typically be in their rotation, including star Jerami Grant. In this game, they were led by Dalano Banton with 28 points in the loss.
So nice you have to see it twice ???????? pic.twitter.com/BUdzWckxG2
– Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) March 17, 2024
The Blazers will again be without several players for this game, but they still have their leading scorer in Anfernee Simons, who is averaging 23.1 PPG and leads the team with 5.6 APG. He had 25 points and eight assists last time out against the Pelicans and dropped 36 in the previous game against Atlanta. He is the team’s best shooter and makes 3.5 threes per game. DeAndre Ayton is available inside, averaging a double-double with 15.7 PPG and 11.1 RPG. Ayton had 20 points against the Pelicans thanks to a strong 10-13 shooting performance. The surprise performance came from third-year forward Dalano Banton, he had 28 points and an average of 14.5 in his 16 games with the team since arriving from Boston.
Portland started Toumani Camara (7.4 PPG) and rookie Kris Murray (4.7 PPG) in their last game. Scoot Henderson and Jabari Walker played the most minutes off the bench. Portland ranks 28th in offensive efficiency and 21st in defensive efficiency. The Blazers play 25th in the league.
Injury Report:
Questionable: Matisse Thybulle, Jerami Grant
Absent: Robert Williams III, Shaedon Sharpe, Malcolm Brogdon
Bulls win two out of three
The Chicago Bulls are in a different situation than the Blazers, they are currently 9th in the East and look like they can hold on to a playoff spot. They are currently 6.5 games ahead of the 11th place Nets. They seem stuck in 9th place at the moment, as they are four games behind the Heat for 8th place and three games ahead of the Hawks for 10th place. In their last game, they were led by Ayo Dosunmu with 34 points and nine assists in the win over Washington.
Each bucket of @AyoDos_11It’s the big night !
34 points | 14-22 FG | 4-7 out of three | 9 hours pic.twitter.com/vcDNBx7H7M
– Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 17, 2024
The Bulls also have their share of injuries, as Zach LaVine and Patrick Williams are still out, and Coby White missed the last game with a hip injury. DeMar DeRozan is Chicago’s leading scorer, he averages 23.2 PPG and also leads the team in assists with 5.3 per game. DeRozan was quiet against Washington with just 13 points, but he recently had 46 against the Pacers. Coby White should be available here, he averages 19.5 PPG and makes 2.8 threes per game. Ayo Dosumnu is coming off his career high, getting 11.2 PPG this season. Nikola Vucevic is averaging 18.2 PPG and 10.7 RPG inside.
Alex Caruso was their fifth starter of late, averaging 9.9 PPG, and Torrey Craig joined the starting lineup in place of White last game. Dalen Terry and Onuralp Bitim played the most minutes off the bench against Washington. The Bulls are ranked 20th in offensive efficiency and 9th in defensive efficiency. They play even slower than the Blazers, ranking 29th in pace of play.
Injury Report:
Questionable: Coby White
Absent: Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, Lonzo Ball, Julian Philips
Do your research before shopping for the best online sports betting.
The best Sunday plays
Ben Hayes – 10-2 CBB Run – Collect Ben’s CBB Destroyer on Sunday afternoon for only $29 – CLICK HERE
David Hesse – 31-14 CBB Best Bet Run – Grab David’s Sunday Totals Dominator for Just $29 – CLICK HERE
André Ifill – 8-1 NBA Run – Snag Andre’s Sunday NBA Best Bet for Just $29 – CLICK HERE
Rob Vincilleti – 11-2 CBB Run – Enjoy Rob’s 5* Conference Tournament Power System for just $35 – CLICK HERE
Scott Steehn – 17-8 CBB Best Bet Run – Get Scott’s Sunday Afternoon Totals Crusher for Just $29 – CLICK HERE
Best bets for this game
Full Game Side Bet
Insider status:
Rating:
The Bulls are still fighting for playoff positioning, while the Blazers were recently eliminated. Portland is also struggling with injuries and most importantly Jerami Grant is dealing with a hamstring injury. He’s unlikely to play here, and the Blazers offense can’t expect role players to step up consistently. In their last game the Blazers were led by Dalano Blanton with 28 points, he can’t maintain this level of production. Chicago is likely to bring Coby White back here, and Dosumnu is starting to develop into a solid perimeter guard capable of defending and scoring. DeRozan only had 13 points last game, he won’t stay quiet two games in a row, as he put up 46 against the Pacers just three games ago. The Bulls have more to play for here, and the Blazers were just eliminated from the playoffs. Chicago takes this one easy.
Take the Bulls to cover.
Prediction: bulls to cover
Do you want a second opinion on this choice?
Total choice of the complete game
Insider status:
Rating:
These teams play at some of the slowest paces in the league, with Portland ranked 25th in tempo and Chicago 29th. Neither team plays fast, as they each run half-court sets looking for shots deep in the shot clock. Chicago lost LaVine, which slows them down even more because DeRozan likes to play isolation ball, which takes time. Portland could also be without one of its top scorers as Grant is dealing with a hamstring injury. Portland has the 27th longest defensive possession in the league and Chicago has the 29th longest defensive possession in the league. Both teams rarely play on the defensive end, and given that neither team is pushing the tempo, it’s clear that this will be a slow-paced game.
Take the bottom.
Prediction: under
