Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers: Betting odds and prediction
The Chicago Bulls are looking to bounce back from a tough overtime loss in the front end of their back-to-back games heading into the weekend on the night of Feb. 4 on the road against head coach Rick Carlisle and the division foe Indiana Pacers. Second-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Bulls have a busy schedule upcoming, and this won’t be an easy matchup against the Pacers on Feb. 4.
In the front end of these back-to-back games on Feb. 3, the Bulls fell short to the Toronto Raptors in overtime by the final score of 127-120. The Bulls fought hard against the Raptors but ultimately came up short in the end. That loss to the Raptors snapped a two-game winning streak for the Bulls and gives them a record of 32-19 heading into this meeting with the Pacers.
Meanwhile, the Pacers are sporting a record of 19-34 following a 119-118 loss at home to the Orlando Magic on Feb. 2. This will also be the third straight game that the Pacers play at home.
Here’s a look into the betting odds and game prediction as the Bulls get set to battle the Pacers on the road at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indiana on Feb. 4, with tip-off time set for 6 p.m. CT.
Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers betting odds
According to WynnBet, the Bulls are a two-point favorite over the Pacers in this game. And the over/under is set at 230 points.
The ESPN matchup predictor has this game at a coin flip as to who will win between the Pacers and Bulls.
Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers prediction
There are two notes worth mentioning on the latest injury report from the NBA on Feb. 4 ahead of this matchup against the Pacers. The first is the fact that star shooting guard Zach LaVine is listed as “questionable” for this game with back spasms. This is the second straight game where LaVine was listed on the injury report for the Bulls due to this issue.
Point guard Coby White is also listed on the injury report for this game as “questionable” as he looks to be dealing with an issue with his right adductor.
Having Coby and/or LaVine limited to absent in this game would obviously be very detrimental for the Bulls. But both played in the Feb. 3 loss to the Raptors. We’ll see what Donovan and the Bulls decide to do with them in this game.
It’s not only the Bulls, though, that are going through some pretty serious injury issues at the moment. While the Bulls have Coby and LaVine on the injury report on Feb. 4, there are some big names showing up for the Pacers too.
The Pacers have the likes of star big man Domantas Sabonis, center Myles Turner, and point guard Malcolm Brogdon all listed as “out” on the injury report due to various issues ahead of this meeting with the Bulls.
That is a hefty list of absences for the Pacers in this game.
Moreover, it looks like the Bulls will really be relying on the offensive production of star center Nikola Vucevic once again. Vucevic had a massive outing in the Feb. 3 loss to the Raptors with a game-high 30 points.
Next. 3 guards the Bulls should trade for before Dennis Schroder. dark
Get a big outing from the duo of Vucevic and star forward DeMar DeRozan, and the Bulls should be able to pull this one out. But things won’t get any easier from here for the Bulls as they have another set of back-to-back games coming up on Feb. 6 and 7.