Pacers vs. Bulls Betting Line
Carrie Stroup here with your Pacers vs. Bulls betting line. We also have a look at betting on the Wizards vs. Jazz game.
INDIANA PACERS (30-36) at CHICAGO BULLS (40-28)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Indiana -1, Total: 188
The Bulls will be looking to put an end to their recent struggles when they host the Pacers Wednesday.
The Pacers were blown out by the Raptors in Indiana on Monday, losing 117-98 as 5-point home favorites. Indiana has now lost two straight games both SU and ATS, but the team had won seven straight games SU before this losing streak. The Bulls lost 109-100 as 7-point road underdogs versus the Thunder on Sunday. Chicago has now lost two straight games and five of its past six both SU and ATS. The Bulls have been miserable on the glass recently, being outrebounded by a total of 42 in their past two games.
These teams have already played three times this season and the Pacers are 2-1 SU and 3-0 ATS in those games. Indiana is also 7-4 SU and ATS when facing Chicago over the past three seasons. Chicago is just 9-24 ATS after playing a road game this season, yet they are 23-9 ATS when revenging a loss versus an opponent of 10 points or more over the past two seasons. Indiana is 13-5 ATS in road games after one or more consecutive losses this season. PG Donald Sloan (Toe) is questionable for the Pacers, who are already without SF Paul George (Leg). Chicago is still without SG Jimmy Butler (Elbow), PF Taj Gibson (Ankle) and PG Derrick Rose (Knee) indefinitely.
The Pacers have lost two straight games, but overall they’ve been very good over the past few weeks. This team is winning games thanks to their grit and toughness, allowing just 96.3 PPG (3rd in NBA) to their opponents and also dominating the glass with 44.9 RPG (5th in NBA). The best player for this Pacers teams has been PG George Hill (14.9 PPG, 4.6 APG, 3.7 RPG, 1.0 SPG), who has taken his game to a new level lately. Over the past two games, Hill is averaging 26.5 PPG, 5.0 APG, 3.5 RPG and 1.0 SPG. He is a very good two-way player, but he has struggled against the Bulls this season with just 9.0 PPG and 3.5 APG. He’ll need to find his offense in this game or Indiana won’t have much of a chance of winning.
PF David West (12.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 3.3 APG) is going to need to step his game up in this one. West is averaging just 9.0 PPG and 6.8 RPG over the past five contests. Indiana needs West to knock down his midrange jumpers and also find his open teammates, as he is a very good passer out of the post. He’s averaging 10.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 3.5 APG in two games against the Bulls this season and likely will need to score more than that to earn this road victory.
C Roy Hibbert (10.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.7 BPG) had 17 points, seven boards and two blocks against the Raptors on Monday. It was his first double-digit scoring game since Mar. 1. He’ll need to be more consistent going forward. Hibbert is going up against a very talented Bulls frontcourt and he must protect the rim and provide some solid contributions offensively Wednesday.
SG Rodney Stuckey (13.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.2 APG) has been on fire for the Pacers lately. He’s averaging 21.6 PPG, 4.2 APG, 3.8 RPG and 1.0 SPG over the past five games. If he can get it going offensively then the Pacers have a good chance of being in this game in the final minutes.
The Bulls have dealt with a number of tough injuries recently and it has forced a number of players to step up and contribute. PF Nikola Mirotic (9.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG) has emerged as one of the Bulls’ go-to guys recently, averaging 19.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 1.2 BPG and 1.2 SPG over the past five games. Mirotic poured in 27 points against the Thunder on Sunday but has struggled against the Pacers this season, averaging just 5.7 PPG on 30% shooting. Chicago will need him to find a way to score on Wednesday and it shouldn’t be too hard for a guy who shoots the ball well and knows how to get to the charity stripe.
PG Aaron Brooks (11.3 PPG, 3.0 APG) is averaging 20.6 PPG, 3.8 APG and 2.6 RPG over the past five games. Brooks is a dynamic scorer for a point guard and he’ll need to get into the lane against Indiana. If he can draw the defense’s attention then it will really help his big men.
PF Pau Gasol (18.4 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 2.7 APG, 2.0 BPG) has seen some extra defensive attention lately, so he’ll need all the room he can get to operate. Gasol has, however, continued to dominate for Chicago. He’s averaging 20.2 PPG, 11.6 RPG and 1.6 BPG over the past five contests. He’s averaging just 16.7 PPG and 7.3 RPG against the Pacers though, and his team will need him to be at his best Wednesday.
C Joakim Noah (7.6 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 4.4 APG, 1.2 BPG) played great against Oklahoma City, finishing with 15 points, seven assists and three rebounds in 31 minutes. Noah is a great passer and continues to serve as this team’s primary playmaker. He’ll need to continue to find his teammates while also bringing his tenacity on the defensive end.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS (39-28) at UTAH JAZZ (30-36)
Sportsbook.ag Line: Utah -3.5, Total: 181
A couple of hot teams, the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz, meet to keep their recent winning streaks alive on Wednesday night.
The Wizards have turned things around recently, winning each of their past four games both SU and ATS by an average of 17.5 PPG. They defeated some tough teams in that time, taking down both Memphis and Portland while at home behind 105.0 PPG in the four contests. Washington’s latest victim was the Trail Blazers when they came into town on Monday and the Wizards took them down by a score of 105-97 as 1-point favorites. The team nearly gave up a large 25-point lead in the third quarter when they were outscored 34-21 but held on behind 50% of their field goals dropping and just six turnovers in the victory.
The Jazz may not finish with one of the best records in the league, but they are certainly showing improved play as they ride a six-game winning streak heading into this contest. In that time they have allowed opponents to put up just 82.5 PPG with the highest total being 91 points when they defeated Houston. The biggest win came most recently when they destroyed the Hornets 94-66 as 4.5-point favorites at home on Monday. Utah made 15-of-24 three-pointers (62.5% 3PM) in the blowout and held Charlotte to an abysmal 23-of-78 shooting (30% FG) as a team.
Despite Washington’s strong season thus far, they have not played at all well on the road with a 14-18 SU record (11-20-1 ATS) in away games as they face a Jazz club that is 17-16 both SU and ATS at home. It is the Wizards who have won each of the past two meetings between these clubs and were the victor in the first contest this year when they took a 93-84 win at home as 11.5-point favorites in mid-December. Washington shot 48.8% from the floor in the easy dismantling of Utah as they did little from either behind the arc (4-for-13) or from the charity stripe (7-for-12). That was the extent of their success in recent years, though, as the Jazz managed to win the previous four games SU (3-1 ATS) in the matchup.
Some trends to watch before dropping a unit on this game include that the Wizards are 75-51 ATS (60%) as an underdog over the past three seasons while Utah has gone 31-12 ATS (72%) when revenging a loss this season. There are no major injuries for either team in this one, with PF Kris Humphries (Groin) and SG Garrett Temple (Hamstring) listed as questionable for Washington while SF Elijah Millsap (Concussion) is questionable for the Jazz.
The Wizards haven’t exactly been world-beaters on the offensive end as they put up 98.8 PPG (12th-worst in league) behind 46.7% shooting (3rd in league). Defensively they do rank rather high though, allowing 97.3 PPG (8th in league) with opponents putting up 43.6% shooting (7th in league).
PG John Wall (17.3 PPG, 10.0 APG, 4.5 RPG, 1.8 SPG) has two straight double-doubles coming into this one in which he has averaged 26.0 PPG, 11.5 APG, 5.5 APG and 1.5 SPG. He had a big-time all-around performance (16 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 blocks) in the last meeting with this Jazz group. SG Bradley Beal (14.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.2 SPG) is coming off his best game since returning from injury as he went for 23 points and seven assists in the win over Portland. He also did well in his matchup with Utah this year, netting 22 points to go along with seven rebounds and four assists.
C Marcin Gortat (12.1 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.3 BPG) has been a huge factor in the team’s recent play and has gone for 16.2 PPG (72% FG) over the past five games. He didn’t have quite as much success when he first saw the Jazz in December with just five points and seven rebounds.
Utah’s offense does not stack up to the rest of the league as it is scoring a mere 95.1 PPG (5th-worst in league) on 45% shooting. Defensively, the Jazz are one of the best in the league, giving up 95.1 PPG (best in league) behind 44.5% shooting.
SF Gordon Hayward (19.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.4 SPG) has scored 20+ points in four of his past seven games, averaging 20.3 PPG in that time. He made a mere 4-of-14 shots for 16 points and added seven rebounds when his team lost to the Wizards earlier in the season.
PF Derrick Favors (16.3 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.7 BPG) has made 56% of his shots over the past five games and has been a great rim protector in the past three contests with 3.0 BPG. He wasn’t on the court for the last meeting with Washington and struggled (8.0 PPG, 9.5 RPG) in two games against them last year.
C Rudy Gobert (7.6 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.3 BPG) has excelled without Kanter around anymore and has some huge numbers (10.8 PPG, 17.9 RPG, 2.1 BPG) over eight March games. He was on the court for 31 minutes in the loss to the Wizards but managed only seven points, nine rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
