Cavaliers vs Bulls NBA Predictions and Picks Jan 19
Cavaliers vs Bulls Betting Preview
WagerTalk NBA handicapper Andy Lang offers his Cleveland vs Chicago betting preview for Wednesday, January 19. At the time of posting, the Cavaliers have opened as a 2.5-point road favorite over the home Bulls, with the total sitting at 215 points.
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| Wednesday, January 19 | NBA Betting Notes |
|---|---|
| Point Spread: | Cleveland Cavaliers -2.5 vs Chicago Bulls |
| Total: | 215 Points |
| Game Time: | 8:30pm ET / 5:30pm PT |
| Arena: | United Center in Chicago, IL |
| TV: | NBC Sports Chicago |
Cavaliers vs Bulls Analysis
The Cleveland Cavaliers travel to the United Center on Wednesday night for an Eastern Conference clash with the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls are tied for the top record in the East at 27-15 but come into this game on a four game slide. Cleveland escaped with a 114-107 victory at home against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night. The Cavs have a 27-18 record, good for 4th in the conference. The Cavs won the first head-to-head matchup with Chicago 115-92 in Cleveland. The Cavs were at full strength, however the Bulls played without Demar Derozan.
Cleveland Looks For Sixth Straight Win
The Cleveland Cavaliers have played fantastic basketball recently that has resulted in a 5 game winning streak. In their most recent victory over Brooklyn, six players scored double digit points with Darius Garland leading the way with 22 points. Garland has been a major difference maker with Colin Sexton out of the lineup. The Cavs point guard leads the team in both assists and scoring with 7.8 assists and 19.7 points per game. Garland also averages 1.3 steals a game as he’s active on both sides of the ball. Rajon Rondo and Lamar Steven’s will both be out against Chicago. The Cavs have played superior defense as they rank 3rd in defensive efficiency while allowing only 102.5 points a game, second least behind only Golden State. On offense they rank 20th with 107.6 point scored per game.
Bulls Lose Steam Without Lavine
The Chicago Bulls were unable to snap their current four game losing streak on Monday, falling short 119-106 on the road to the Memphis Grizzlies. Demar Derozan scored a team high 24 points in the loss. The Bulls lost more than the game against the Warriors a few games back, they also lost Zach Lavine with a knee injury. He missed the last two games and remains without a timetable for return. Lonzo Ball will also miss tonight’s game with a knee injury, while Alex Caruso is now probable. The Bulls score 111 points a game ranking them 8th in the NBA. Demar Derozan leads the team with 25.6 points per game. However they sit at only 19th in defensive efficiency while they allow 109 points a game.
Cavaliers vs Bulls Prediction
The Cleveland Cavaliers are three point road favorites with a total of 217. Both teams have excellent against the spread records, the Cavs have the best record in the league at 29-13-3, while the Bulls aren’t to far behind at 24-18. Chicago trends slightly to the over, while Cleveland trends slightly to the under. This is a tough pick and with 13 games on the board there are far better edges to be had. The Cavs are in far better form and health, we will roll with them laying a minimal 2.5 points.
Official Play: Cleveland Cavaliers -2.5
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Wednesday’s #NBA Notes:
🏀Orlando has covered the spread in four of its last five as a double-digit road ‘dog.
🏀Charlotte is 12-5 against the spread as a ‘dog.
🏀The under is 19-5 in Dallas’ last 24 games.
🏀The over is 26-13 in Houston’s last 39 games.
➡️https://t.co/RHOuvHZvdC pic.twitter.com/g94ryCDsIL— GoldSheet (@thegoldsheet) January 19, 2022
Cavaliers vs Bulls Preview from GoldSheet
The Bulls are limping at the moment even worse than the Bears were at the end of the NFL regular season, with Lonzo Ball and Zach LaVine (both with knee injuries) last on the court on Friday in the lopsided loss vs. the Warriors and Alex Caruso now going on a month being absent due to a foot injury (though he might be able to play tonight). It’s contributed to a bad stretch in Chicago with the Bulls losing four in a row and effectively surrendering the top spot in the Eastern Conference (now shared with Miami) in the process.
Among the worst Chicago defensive performances of the season have happened in the current slump, with recent troubles for the Bulls protecting the rim and the forced turnover rate well down from earlier in the season. More to like at the moment, it would seem, with the resurgent Cavs, who after a brief dip around New Yea’s have now won five in a row, four of those on the road, and quietly surging toward the Bulls and the top of the East. Cleveland is mostly beyond the recent spate of injuries and Covid absences, with oft-injured Rajon Rondo (hamstring; only suited up three games for the Cavs since being acquired from the Lakers in trade) the only absence other than long-term injuries to Ricky Rubio and Collin Sexton.
As has been the case all season, having Darius Garland as a participant seems to be the key to Cleveland success, especially when paired with dual bigs Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, as the Cavs are 22-8 with all three available, and 5-10 when they’re not. Note Cleveland had no trouble with Chicago back on Dec. 8 in a 115-92 win at the Rocket, hitting 55% from the floor on a night the Bulls had main guns LaVine, Ball and Nikola Vucevic all in the starting lineup.
NBA Stat Sheet
Each day, WagerTalk handicapper Ralph Michaels puts together his NBA Stat Sheet, which offers a head-to-head comparison for how teams are performing in a number of key areas heading into a game. Check out Wednesday’s sheet, with notes on tonight’s Cavaliers vs Bulls contest.
NBA Tip-Off Show
Join Joe Raineri and a rotating panel of guests for the NBA Tip-Off Show at 4:15pm ET / 1:15pm PT as we discuss tonight’s marquee games. Stay up-to-date on the latest NBA news, stats, analysis, and predictions with our panel of professional handicappers as they preview tonight’s NBA action, including this Cavaliers vs Bulls clash, from a betting perspective.
NBA Odds Screen
WagerTalk’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the NBA point spreads, moneylines, first half lines and betting percentages for all of Wednesday’s NBA games, including this Cavaliers vs Bulls showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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