These two Eastern Conference contenders will meet for the second time this season when the Chicago Bulls travel to Boston to take on the Celtics Friday night.
Chicago has won four of its last six games that started with a victory over Boston at home. Meanwhile, the C's have lost three of the last four games after winning their first three games of the season. Will they end their losing skid and get revenge at home?
Find out in our free NBA betting picks and predictions for the Bulls vs. Celtics on Friday, November 4.
Bulls vs Celtics best odds
Bulls vs Celtics picks and predictions
The Celtics looked like defending Eastern Conference champions when they started 3-0, including wins over East rivals Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat. However, their loss to the Bulls started a downhill trend for them.
Meanwhile, the Bulls have gotten their defense going again, winning each of their last two games without allowing 100 points by their opponent.
In the first matchup this season, Chicago won by 18 points and the second leading scorer for Chicago was surprisingly Ayo Dosunmu. However, considering the absence of Lonzo Ball and his impressive play early in his second season, maybe it should not have been that surprising.
Dosunmu is averaging 12.5 points per game this season and scored 22 points in the first matchup with the Celtics. Ayo’s point total in this game is currently at 10.5 points. He has gone Over that total in five of his eight games played this season and four of his last five.
The C's are typically known for their defense, but not this season. They rank 18th in points allowed per game and 28th in 2-point attempts allowed per game. Ayo averages 6.1 2-point field goal attempts per game and shoots 46.9% from that range.
Ayo will get close to 30 minutes in this game and will get plenty of opportunities to score. In the first game, Dosunmu was 4-for-4 from three and 5-for-6 from two with no free throw attempts. Even with no free throws, I love his chance to hit the Over here.
My best bet: Ayo Dosunmu Over 10.5 points (-130)
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Bulls vs Celtics spread analysis
After the Bulls easily won at home in the first matchup, it is a bit surprising to see the spread reach as high as 7.5 points in favor of the Celtics. Chicago will be without Andre Drummond, who recorded 12 rebounds in only 16 minutes of play in the earlier matchup.
The bench was where the Bulls dominated in the first game, as the secondary unit combined for a +84, while the starters were a combined -1. Boston's starters were a combined -25, but the next four off the bench were an even worse combined -77.
Without Drummond and probably without Coby White, Chicago will be losing some of that depth that dominated in the first matchup. In an interesting trend, the Bulls are 0-5-1 against the spread in their last six games played on Friday. The Celtics are typically fantastic ATS following a loss, going 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games following a straight up loss.
Many of Boston's recent losses came on the road and its return home should get it back on the winning side. This spread is a little high, but its two home wins have been by nine points and 18 points. Since I like the Celtics to win this game I will also lean on them to cover the spread.
Bulls vs Celtics Over/Under analysis
This is another matchup of strong offense against strong defense. In the first matchup, the defense prevailed as not only did the Bulls win, but the Under hit. The total is about two points lower than the last outing, but the last game would have still gone Under this total.
The Under is 6-0 in Chicago's last six games against a team with a winning record and 7-1 in its last eight road games against a team with a winning home record. Also, the Under is 6-2 in the last eight meetings between the two teams.
The Celtics will get their offense going a little better than they did in the previous matchup. However, I also believe the Celtics' defense and bench will perform much better than they did in the previous matchup. I do not love the total here, but I would certainly lean towards the Under in a must-pick situation.
Bulls vs Celtics betting trend to know
The Celtics are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games following an ATS loss. Find more NBA betting trends for Bulls vs. Celtics.
Bulls vs Celtics game info
| Location: | TD Garden, Boston, MA |
| Date: | Friday, November 4, 2022 |
| Tip-off: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN |
