The division rival Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers are set to renew hostilities on Sunday when they meet at Quicken Loans Arena.
Oddsmakers currently have the Cavaliers listed as 8½-point favorites versus the Bulls, while the game’s total is sitting at 199.
Chicago At Cleveland
When: 3:30 PM ET, Sunday, April 5, 2015
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC
PREDICTION: Cavaliers 97, Bulls 91
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In their last action, Cleveland was a 114-88 winner at home against the Heat. They covered the -9.5-point spread as favorites, while the combined score (202) was profitable news for OVER bettors.
Power forward Kevin Love is expected to return to the lineup after sitting out Thursday’s 114-88 win over Miami with a back injury suffered in the previous game against Philadelphia. The back has been an issue off and on for Love this season and he will be a prime candidate to receive some rest down the stretch if and when Cleveland locks up the second seed. “If we do win tomorrow, I’m sure it will be talked about and kind of figured out from there,” Love told reporters Saturday at practice.
Team record: 49-27 SU,39-37 ATS
Cleveland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Cleveland is 13-4 ATS in its last 17 games at home
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland’s last 7 games at home
Chicago was a 88-82 winner in its last match at home against the Pistons. They failed to cover the -9.5-point spread as favorites, while the total score of 170 sent UNDER bettors to the payout window.
The Derrick Rose watch is intensifying in Chicago, as the star guard is getting close to a return from right knee surgery that has kept him out of the lineup for 19 straight games. Head coach Tom Thibodeau said Rose was “unlikely” to return against Detroit on Friday, but the fact that he is being asked about a specific date implies that Rose may indeed return in the coming days. The Cavaliers, who could be a second-round opponent for Chicago if the teams remain in their current seeds, know what Rose can do to them when healthy; he had 30 points in a 113-98 win over Cleveland at home on Feb. 13.
Team record: 46-30 SU,35-41 ATS
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Chicago’s last 13 games
Chicago is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Chicago is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
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