The NBA action continues with five games on Tuesdayโs slate, so I bring you the best betting pick and odds for the interconference showdown between the Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.
The hosts opened as firm favorites on BetAmerica Sportsbook with their moneyline odds at -500. The Trail Blazers are undefeated in seven straight encounters with the Bulls including the previous three at Moda Center.
Chicago starts a four-game west-coast trip
The Chicago Bulls (3-4; 4-3 ATS) will play their next four games against some tough west-coast teams, coming off a 118-108 home victory over Dallas. They upset the Mavs as 4-point dogs, recording their third win in the last four outings.
The Bulls opened the season with three straight losses, but they bounced back nicely with a couple of wins at the Washington Wizards. Chicago also suffered a 126-96 defeat at the Milwaukee Bucks, proving thereโs still a lot of work to be done.
Zach LaVine had a big game against Dallas, notching 39 points along with six boards, five assists, and three steals. He averages 24.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on the season, while Coby White has 15.7 points and 5.4 assists per game.
Due to the COVID-19 medical protocols, the Bulls are without Lauri Markkanen, Tomas Satoransky, Chandler Hutchinson, and Ryan Arcidiacono.
Portland opens a two-game homestand
The Portland Trail Blazers (3-3; 2-4 ATS) are coming off a two-game set in San Francisco. They beat the Warriors 123-98 on New Yearโs Day, but a couple of days later, the Trail Blazers got routed by Golden State 137-122.
Portland wrapped up a four-game road trip and will play Chicago and Minnesota at home in its next two games. The Trail Blazers are 1-1 at Moda Center this term, outlasting Utah 120-100 and suffering a 128-126 overtime loss to Houston.
As it was expected, Portland heavily leans on its backcourt duo, as C.J. McCollum tallies 28.0 points and 5.7 assists per game, while Damian Lillard adds 26.3 points and 6.2 assists a night. The Trail Blazers still miss Zach Collins (ankle), while Rodney Hood (quad) is questionable to play Tuesday against Chicago.
[metabet_core_odds_compare query=”nba/trail_blazers” size=”300×250″ site_id=”atsio” css=”float:right; margin-left:10px”]Trends:
Chicago:
- 1-6 ATS in the last seven games against Portland
- 4-9 ATS in the last 13 road tilts against Northwest Division
Portland:
- 9-5 ATS in the last 14 home games against Chicago
- 4-1 ATS in the last five home games as favorites of nine or more points
The Winner Prediction
The Bulls will be quite shorthanded in this game, and Iโm looking for the Trail Blazers to take full advantage of it. Both teams have struggled mightily on the defensive end so far, and I certainly trust Portland more when it comes to scoring buckets.
Per 100 possessions, the Trail Blazers score 4.8 points more than Chicago. They shoot just 43.5% from the field (27th in the NBA), but the Trail Blazers make 37.5% of their triples (11th) while taking 41.3 attempts from deep per game which are the second-most in the league.
Pick: Take Portland -9.5 at -110
The Total:
The Bulls are yielding 113.2 points per 100 possessions (25th) while playing at a furious pace of 107.1 possessions per 48 minutes (2nd). On the other side, the Trail Blazers average 101.9 possessions per 48 minutes (13th), but they allow 115.2 points per 100 possessions (28th).
Therefore, I would be surprised if the under hits Tuesday. These teams will have to have an awful shooting night to combine for fewer than 234 points in total.
Pick: Go over 233.5 points at -110