NBA Basketball
2011-02-23 - Chicago Bulls at Toronto Raptors
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States: NBA Basketball
Wednesday 23 February 2011 - Tip-Off 7pm ET
Midnight (British Standard Time)
Preview
Make no mistake about it- the Chicago Bulls (38-16) are a real and genuine threat in the Eastern Conference this season and they have just received the boost needed in the second half of the season as the Play Off push really begins. Joakim Noah has finally returned to the starting line up for this game and joins Carlos Boozer and Derrick Rose for only the 10th time this season that the Bulls version of the Big Three play together.
This does not lead to good news for the struggling Toronto Raptors (15-42) that have missed Chris Bosh heavily all season and have already tied the number of defeats they suffered throughout the whole of last season.
Chicago were 22-8 without Noah in the lineup, but it is Noah who leads the team in rebounds per game and blocks per game and his return will only improve what has been an impressive defense the Bulls have been running.
It is unclear how many minutes Noah will be expected to play, although he looked strong in training over the last week, and Coach Tom Thibodeau explained he will take the decision during the game once he sees how Noah is handling things.
Derrick Rose continues to play to such a level that many believe he should be the MVP of the season. His last game saw him score 42 points as he led the Bulls past San Antonio, although Rose will want to improve his 14.8 points per game average over the last 5 games against Toronto.
The Raptors fell at Charlotte last night, their 11th straight loss on the road, and they committed a season high 31 fouls. The loss also saw Toronto fall to 5-31 this season when the team has failed to score 102 points or more and it is worrying for them that Chicago have only allowed 4 teams to score that many points in the last 36 games.
Head to Head
Chicago have won 3 in a row against Toronto, including 2 games earlier in this season. They have also won their last 2 games in Toronto.
Each of the 3 wins have come straight up and against the spread.
Toronto are 12-16 against the spread at home this season, Chicago are 14-11.
The Raptors are 6-6 against the spread when playing on back to back nights.
Other Interesting Notes
Toronto are 15-36-1 against the spread in theior last 52 games at home against a team with a winning record on the road.
They are 2-9 against the spread in their last 11 games as the underdog.
The team is also 1-8 against the spread in their last 9 games against Eastern Conference teams.
Chicago are 5-1 against the spread in their last 6 games against a team with a winning record at home of under 40%.
They are 6-2 against the spread in their last 8 games as the favourites. However, the Bulls are just 2-5 against the spread in their last 7 games when favoured by between 5 and 10 points on the road.
Prediction
Chicago have really developed as a team this season and are fast becoming the dark horse to represent the East in the NBA Finals this season. They have a core of really good players, and the return of Joakim Noah provides an additional emotional lift for the team.
The Bulls also know they are not that far away from the 2 teams currently occupying seeds above them and must continue winning games to give themselves the strongest position in the Eastern Play Offs.
I am a little concerned that Chicago may overlook this game, with the Heat coming to town on Thursday, but Toronto have been playing very poorly of late and the team looks really short of confidence.
With the Bulls' suffocating defense, I expect they will come through and cover the spread. However, I am only making this a 2 Unit play rather than 3 or 4 Units in case the Bulls are looking ahead to Miami and take their foot off the gas and rest the starters down the stretch.
The Pick :
Toronto Raptors 93-106 Chicago Bulls
BEST BETTING TIP :
I'll pick the Chicago Bulls - 8.5 Points @ 1.95 (2 UNITS)Follow me on Twitter @DavindaAulak- there is a direct link below
