DeMar DeRozan Chicago Bulls Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
On the afternoon of December 31, interim head coach Chris Fleming and the Chicago Bulls will complete the calendar year by taking on head coach Rick Carlisle and division foes Indiana Pacers on the road. This will be the second time in the past week the Bulls have faced the Pacers. The difference is that the meeting between these two teams will take place on the road.
The Bulls will take five straight wins into the final game of 2021 against the Pacers. They have a 22-10 record with impressive offensive displays in a double-digit win over the Atlanta Hawks at home at United Center on the evening of December 29th.
Since the Christmas holidays, the Bulls have beaten the Pacers once (back on December 26) and the Hawks twice (on December 27 and 29). Fleming was interim head coach for the last three games with second-year head coach Billy Donovan in the league’s health and safety protocol.
Meanwhile, the Pacers come into this clash with a 14-21 record following their 116-108 loss at home to the Charlotte Hornets on 29 December. The Pacers have lost two games in a row and five of their last seven games have come. to this encounter with the Bulls on New Year’s Eve.
Here are betting odds and match predictions when the Bulls face the Pacers on the road at GainBridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on December 31 with tip-off time set at 2pm. CT.
Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers betting odds
According to WynnBet, the Bulls are the three-point favorite over the Pacers on the road in this game. See the article : Pressure Already Being Applied To Legalize Pot In Indiana This Session. And the over/under is set at 220.5 points.
The ESPN fight predictor gives the Bulls a 52 percent chance of beating the Pacers.
Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers prediction
The last five meetings between the Bulls and Pacers (as of December 26, 2020) have not been very close. Each of the five matches was decided by a margin of not less than eight points. On the same subject : Doctor: Omicron variant likely already in Indiana, delta remains the major threat. Indeed, one of those five games was decided by an eight-point margin in an extra-time win for the Bulls on February 15, with a final score of 120-112.
The Bulls are also 3-2 in their last five meetings with the Pacers. On December 26, the Bulls beat the Pacers by eight points. And the Pacers dominated the Bulls in the first meeting of the two teams this season, by a margin of 32 points.
Moreover, the game will likely be determined by which top three emerges bigger in the end. The Bulls desperately need strong play from the star duo of shooting guard/forward DeMar DeRozan and center Nikola Vucevic.
DeRozan has continued to play well since he stepped out of health and safety protocol just over a week ago. And Vucevic played his best basketball of the season. He’s been outstanding in helping spark the Bulls’ five-game winning streak since before the Christmas holidays.
If stellar shooting guards Zach LaVine, DeRozan, and Vucevic continue to perform at or near peak efficiency in this game, it will be very difficult for the top three Pacers namely Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner and Caris LeVert to compete. But the top three for the Pacers gave the Bulls trouble once this season. It could happen again if the Bulls come up with the same energy in this match as they did in the first meeting with the Pacers this season.
In theory, this game looks very winnable by the Bulls. But this does feel like a disappointment waiting to happen. It’s more of a personal hunch, but I got the same feeling when the Bulls faced the Pacers in their 32-point loss.
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