The Chicago Bulls (17-19) travel to face off against the Indiana Pacers (19-18) on Wednesday, January 8th. This game will be played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and televised on CHSN. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 7:00 ET.

Bulls vs Pacers

The Bulls Are Coming Off A Win

The Bulls moved to 17-19 on the season with a 114-110 win over the Spurs on Monday. Chicago, who were +3 point underdogs, not only won but also covered the spread. The game’s total of 224 points fell short of the 236.5-point line.

Chicago’s comeback was fueled by an 11-0 run, which helped them trim the score from 79-63 to 79-74. They dominated the 4th quarter, outscoring the Spurs 32-15 to seal the win.

The Pacers Are Coming Off A Win

Indiana moved to 19-18 on the season with a 113-99 win over the Nets on Monday. The Pacers, who were -10.5 point favorites, covered the spread in the victory. The total points for the game ended at 212, falling short of the 221.5 O/U line.

A key moment came when Indiana went on a 15-0 run, turning a 48-39 deficit into a 54-48 lead. They dominated the 2nd quarter, outscoring Brooklyn 31-17, and after a 31-23 3rd quarter in favor of the Nets, the Pacers closed out the game by winning the 4th quarter 35-29.

Bulls Offense Breakdown

Zach LaVine led the Bulls to a win over the Spurs, scoring 35 points, 14 of which came in the 4th quarter. He also added 10 rebounds and 8 assists, shooting 52% from the field and 50% from three-point range. Coby White contributed 23 points, hitting 3 threes at 50% efficiency, while Nikola Vucevic added 24 points and 11 rebounds, though he struggled from deep, shooting just 22.2%.

The Bulls made 13 threes as a team, shooting 33.3% from beyond the arc and 43.1% overall. LaVine, White, and Vucevic combined for 32 points in the final quarter, with White scoring 9 in the 4th.

Pacers Offense Breakdown

Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 23 points and 8 assists in their win over the Nets, hitting 4 threes at 57.1% from deep. Bennedict Mathurin added 20 points, knocking down 3 threes at 50% efficiency, while Pascal Siakam contributed 19 points and 6 rebounds.

As a team, the Pacers shot 50.6% from the field and 38.7% from beyond the arc, making 12 threes. Siakam was key in the 3rd quarter, scoring 11 points, while Haliburton added 8 in the period.

Bulls Team Defense

The Bulls gave up 110 points on 46% shooting but clamped down defensively in the 4th quarter, allowing just 15 points to secure the win. Chicago also limited the Spurs’ three-point shooting, holding them to 15 made threes on 32% shooting.

Chicago sent San Antonio to the free-throw line 12 times, where they hit 7 shots. The Bulls grabbed 33 defensive rebounds, gave up 13 offensive boards, and finished with 12 steals and 4 blocks.

Pacers Team Defense

The Bulls gave up 110 points to the Spurs but clamped down in the 4th quarter, allowing just 15 points to secure the win. Overall, they allowed San Antonio to shoot 46% from the field.

Chicago’s defense did well from beyond the arc, holding the Spurs to 32% shooting on 15 made threes. The Bulls also sent the Spurs to the line 12 times, where they made 7 free throws. Defensively, the Bulls recorded 12 steals and 4 blocks.

Bulls vs Pacers Trends

• Although Chicago has a straight up record of 6-4 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 5-4-1. The team averaged 120 points per game in these games.
• When looking at their past three matchups at home, Indiana has an ATS record of 3-0 while averaging 121 per game. The team went 3-0 overall in these games.
• The Bulls have played well in their last five games as the betting underdog, going 3-2 straight up and 3-2 against the spread.
• Indiana has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 4-1 SU and 4-1 ATS in their last five games.

Bulls vs Pacers Prediction

In this Bulls vs. Pacers matchup, our point-spread bet is on the Bulls at +5.5. While we project the Pacers to win 126-123, our recommendation is to bet on the Bulls for the point-spread.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 240.5, and our model predicts the Bulls and Pacers to score a combined 249 points. We recommend betting on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.