2019 NBA Preview, Odds, And Prediction: Boston Celtics vs Chicago Bulls

After a forgettable season-worst three-game slide, the Boston Celtics bounced back strong when they served the New Orleans Pelicans a 35-point drubbing on Saturday, 140-105.

It sounds like a bad news for the Chicago Bulls who are set to visit the TD Garden on Monday to face the now win-streak-hunting Celtics.

This Celtics moved up the second spot in the Eastern Conference anew after the Miami Heat got upset by the New York Knicks on Sunday. The Bulls, meanwhile, remain to be an under .500 team, holding the 10^th place in the conference with a 14-26 card.

Celtics:

Jayson Tatum played like a man possessed on Saturday’s win, dropping a season-high 41 points en route to the lopsided victory for the C’s. He is second to Kemba Walker on the team’s scoring leaders with 21.3 points per game. Walker is averaging 21.9 markers per game on top of also a team-high 5.2 dimes.

Jaylen Brown is looking to pick up the cudgels after he struggled in his last four games where he shot a dismal 18-for-63 from the field and 7-for-24 from three. Enes Kanter provided a significant production in the win against the Pels where he scored 22 points and grabbed 19 boards.

Bulls:

Zach Lavine continues to run in fumes this season but he remains the only bright spot in Chicago so far this season. In 2020, Lavine is averaging an outstanding 30.2 points per game, but it does not seem to translate to wins as the Bulls have lost seven of their last 10 games and are awful both at home (7-14) and on the road (7-12).

Lavine’s scoring average for the season is 24.4 per night, which is followed by just 15.3 a game from Lauri Markkanen.

Chicago last faced Boston on Jan. 4 where they lost, 111-104, despite Lavine exploding for 35 markers while hitting five triples on nine attempts.

Odds and Trends:

The Celtics are -9.5 point-faves in this game. The total line is even at 215.5.

The Celtics are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game and 1-6-1 in their last 8 games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game.

The Bulls are 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 games as a road underdog and 4-1-1 in their last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.

Over is 5-0 in Bulls’ last 5 games playing on 1-day rest and 4-1 in Celtics’ last 5 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.

Under is 4-0 in Celtics’ last 4 Monday games 4-1 in their last 5 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.

Prediction:

Straight-up: Celtics

ATS: Celtics

Total: Over