Chicago Bulls at Indiana Pacers Betting Preview/Prop Pick

Two Eastern Conference teams face off in a matchup between the Bulls and the Pacers. The Chicago Bulls have taken back control of the Eastern Conference with a 32-19 record.

Now that the team is getting back to being healthy, they're playing much better. More importantly, they've been able to unseat the Miami Heat, who were at No.1. Another win will create a larger gap.

The Indiana Pacers don't have much to be happy about right now. They're 19-34 and are going to face the best team in their conference. The good news for the Pacers is that they're playing at home, which will hopefully help.

However, the injury report lists five players for the Pacers out for this game. With so many players sidelined with injuries, can they pull off a victory here?

Chicago Bulls: Coming off a tough loss to the Raptors

The Bulls have had both hot and cold streaks; last night was a cold one. They faced off against the Raptors, and Pascal Siakam stole the show, scoring 25 points with 13 rebounds. By the end of overtime, the Bulls lost the game 127-120.

They'll have a chance against the Pacers to start heading back in the right direction. However, they might have to do it without Zach LaVine today.

The Bulls will still have DeMar DeRozan in the lineup, someone they desperately need. DeRozan is averaging 26.5 points per game, leading the Chicago Bulls. The Pacers' leading scorer, Domantas Sabonis, is one of the players ruled out for this one.

Considering the Bulls won't need to worry about Sabonis, they should run away with this one. Or so it would seem.

Indiana Pacers: The long injury list ruined the Pacers year

Each year it seems like the Pacers move further and further away from the spotlight. This season, it's due to the number of devastating injuries to their lineup. We mentioned Domantas Sabonis, but Malcolm Brogdon and Isiah Jackson are also out.

It's hard to get your offense going when your best scorer is sidelined. Still, the Pacers were able to beat the Warriors before.

Unfortunately, we don't see this game going well for the Pacers on Friday. Indiana has the No.22 ranked defense in the NBA, allowing 110.92 points per game. On the offensive side, they're one of the worst teams in the NBA from beyond the arc.

With no Sabonis and no Brogdon, how will they stop DeMar DeRozan? How can they stop the Bulls from steamrolling over them tonight?

Our pick for the Chicago Bulls at Indiana Pacers

After looking at each of these teams, the answer becomes pretty obvious. The Bulls come into this game at only -2.5, which are great odds.

The Bulls are the better scorers, they play better defense, and they're less injured. They're also 26-7 as a favorite, making us even more inclined to take them against the Pacers. 

Until Indiana gets healthy, they'll continue to lose these games. It's not their fault the injuries have occurred, but they'll suffer the consequences of them. Look for the Pacers to get overwhelmed by DeMar DeRozan and the Bulls on Friday night.

DunkelIndex Free Pick: Chicago Bulls -2.5, OVER

Prop Pick

Chicago (-115) OVER 116.5 Points

The Bulls’ offense ranks No. 2 in FG percentage at 47.7 percent and No. 1 in 3-Pt FG percentage at 37.7 percent. The Pacers’ defense ranks No. 26 and No. 21 in those two categories, respectively. Scores have gone OVER in nine of the Chicago’s last 12 games as a road favorite and each of their last seven games when playing with 0 days rest. Additionally, scores have gone OVER in six of the Pacers’ last seven home games.

With Dunkel predicting a Chicago victory by the score of 121-115, take the Bulls (-115) to finish OVER their Vegas team total of 116.5 points against the Pacers.

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