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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Jan. 10 – Contracts guaranteed for rest of season.

Feb. 13-15 – All-Star weekend, New York.

Feb. 19 – Trade deadline (3 p.m. EST).

April 15 – Last day of regular season.

April 18 – Playoffs begin.

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Jan. 10 – Contracts guaranteed for rest of season.

Feb. 13-15 – All-Star weekend, New York.

Feb. 19 – Trade deadline (3 p.m. EST).

April 15 – Last day of regular season.

April 18 – Playoffs begin.

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Kidd-Gilchrist 6-15 4-4 16, Zeller 3-5 0-0 6, Biyombo 1-2 7-10 9, Walker 4-11 3-3 12, Henderson 7-14 2-2 16, Maxiell 2-4 0-0 4, Williams 1-4 0-0 3, Neal 3-7 4-5 10, Hairston 1-6 0-0 2, Roberts 1-7 2-2 5, Vonleh 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 29-76 22-26 83.

HOUSTON (102)

Ariza 4-12 1-1 10, Smith 2-7 0-2 5, Howard 5-5 1-3 11, Beverley 5-16 0-0 14, Harden 12-19 4-4 36, Motiejunas 5-13 2-2 12, Brewer 2-8 0-0 5, Terry 2-4 0-0 5, Dorsey 0-0 1-2 1, Canaan 0-2 0-0 0, Johnson 1-1 0-0 3, Papanikolaou 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 38-88 9-14 102.

Charlotte 25 20 23 15- 83

Houston 23 24 29 26-102

3-Point Goals-Charlotte 3-18 (Walker 1-3, Roberts 1-3, Williams 1-4, Henderson 0-2, Neal 0-2, Hairston 0-4), Houston 17-43 (Harden 8-11, Beverley 4-12, Johnson 1-1, Terry 1-1, Smith 1-2, Brewer 1-4, Ariza 1-9, Motiejunas 0-1, Canaan 0-2). Fouled Out-None. Rebounds-Charlotte 54 (Kidd-Gilchrist 8), Houston 52 (Howard 8). Assists-Charlotte 15 (Walker 5), Houston 22 (Harden 6). Total Fouls-Charlotte 17, Houston 25. Technicals-Houston defensive three second. A-18,276 (18,023).

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James is expected to miss two weeks after tests revealed injuries to the superstar’s left knee and lower back.

The Cavaliers announced in a release Thursday that multiple examinations, including an MRI, showed that James has knee and back strains. The tests were performed Wednesday before the Cavs lost their third straight game, a 96-80 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

James, who has missed Cleveland’s past two games, will undergo several forms of treatment, including anti-inflammatories, the team said. The four-time MVP has never missed more than five straight games in his professional career; if the two-week timetable holds up, his absence could reach 10 games or more.

The Cavs play in Charlotte on Friday, host Dallas on Sunday, visit Philadelphia on Monday, are back home to meet Houston on Wednesday — then head out for a five-game road trip against Western Conference clubs. Cleveland is 0-3 this season when James does not play.

James aggravated his nagging knee injury on Christmas Day in Miami while jumping over a row of courtside seats. He acknowledged that the knee has been “hurting pretty much all year” on Wednesday, one day after his 30th birthday.

“I’ve been playing with it, and it goes away and comes back,” he said. “So, the one in Miami kind of reaggravated it when I came out of the game in the third quarter.”

Even though James was not required to speak to the media Wednesday because he was out of the lineup, he made himself available to answer a slew of questions in the locker room before the Bucks game about his health and the controversy surrounding his commitment to staying in Cleveland beyond this summer.

“I’m here to build something great in the present and in the future, and that’s the reason I’m back,” James said. “I got no other reason to have to continue to talk about things that’s so outlandish. I’m here. This is where I’ll be, and this is where I’m comfortable at.”

The Cavs were also without Kevin Love (back spasms) and Shawn Marion (sore left ankle) on Wednesday, making for another challenging night for Cleveland while playing the second leg of a back-to-back. Brandon Knight scored 26 points, and the Bucks led most of the way in the win.

A preseason favorite to contend for the NBA title, the Cavaliers (18-14) have lost four of their past five games — a stretch that has fueled widespread speculation about first-year coach David Blatt’s job security.

James said that he and the team simply must stay the course.

“Just stay even keel and knowing that there’s always sunshine on the other side of the mountain, man,” James said. “I don’t get too high or too low, especially in the NBA season. It’s too long, it’s too many emotions, it’s too many things, it’s too many storylines that if you let yourself get involved in it too much that it can bother you mentally, and I’ve been able to just stay away from it.”

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Kidd-Gilchrist 6-15 4-4 16, Zeller 3-5 0-0 6, Biyombo 1-2 7-10 9, Walker 4-11 3-3 12, Henderson 7-14 2-2 16, Maxiell 2-4 0-0 4, Williams 1-4 0-0 3, Neal 3-7 4-5 10, Hairston 1-6 0-0 2, Roberts 1-7 2-2 5, Vonleh 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 29-76 22-26 83.

HOUSTON (102)

Ariza 4-12 1-1 10, Smith 2-7 0-2 5, Howard 5-5 1-3 11, Beverley 5-16 0-0 14, Harden 12-19 4-4 36, Motiejunas 5-13 2-2 12, Brewer 2-8 0-0 5, Terry 2-4 0-0 5, Dorsey 0-0 1-2 1, Canaan 0-2 0-0 0, Johnson 1-1 0-0 3, Papanikolaou 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 38-88 9-14 102.

Charlotte 25 20 23 15- 83

Houston 23 24 29 26-102

3-Point Goals-Charlotte 3-18 (Walker 1-3, Roberts 1-3, Williams 1-4, Henderson 0-2, Neal 0-2, Hairston 0-4), Houston 17-43 (Harden 8-11, Beverley 4-12, Johnson 1-1, Terry 1-1, Smith 1-2, Brewer 1-4, Ariza 1-9, Motiejunas 0-1, Canaan 0-2). Fouled Out-None. Rebounds-Charlotte 54 (Kidd-Gilchrist 8), Houston 52 (Howard 8). Assists-Charlotte 15 (Walker 5), Houston 22 (Harden 6). Total Fouls-Charlotte 17, Houston 25. Technicals-Houston defensive three second. A-18,276 (18,023).

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Kidd-Gilchrist 6-15 4-4 16, Zeller 3-5 0-0 6, Biyombo 1-2 7-10 9, Walker 4-11 3-3 12, Henderson 7-14 2-2 16, Maxiell 2-4 0-0 4, Williams 1-4 0-0 3, Neal 3-7 4-5 10, Hairston 1-6 0-0 2, Roberts 1-7 2-2 5, Vonleh 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 29-76 22-26 83.

HOUSTON (102)

Ariza 4-12 1-1 10, Smith 2-7 0-2 5, Howard 5-5 1-3 11, Beverley 5-16 0-0 14, Harden 12-19 4-4 36, Motiejunas 5-13 2-2 12, Brewer 2-8 0-0 5, Terry 2-4 0-0 5, Dorsey 0-0 1-2 1, Canaan 0-2 0-0 0, Johnson 1-1 0-0 3, Papanikolaou 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 38-88 9-14 102.

Charlotte 25 20 23 15- 83

Houston 23 24 29 26-102

3-Point Goals-Charlotte 3-18 (Walker 1-3, Roberts 1-3, Williams 1-4, Henderson 0-2, Neal 0-2, Hairston 0-4), Houston 17-43 (Harden 8-11, Beverley 4-12, Johnson 1-1, Terry 1-1, Smith 1-2, Brewer 1-4, Ariza 1-9, Motiejunas 0-1, Canaan 0-2). Fouled Out-None. Rebounds-Charlotte 54 (Kidd-Gilchrist 8), Houston 52 (Howard 8). Assists-Charlotte 15 (Walker 5), Houston 22 (Harden 6). Total Fouls-Charlotte 17, Houston 25. Technicals-Houston defensive three second. A-18,276 (18,023).

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Covington 4-13 0-0 10, Sims 9-13 1-2 19, Noel 3-13 2-3 8, Carter-Williams 1-7 2-4 4, Sampson 2-7 2-3 7, McDaniels 2-4 3-4 7, Grant 2-8 1-4 7, Aldemir 2-2 0-0 4, Wroten 4-13 1-1 10, Thomas 4-6 2-2 10. Totals 33-86 14-23 86.

GOLDEN STATE (126)

Barnes 3-6 1-2 8, Green 3-7 3-3 10, Speights 9-13 5-6 23, Curry 4-7 2-2 13, K.Thompson 6-14 0-0 14, Lee 5-9 3-4 13, Iguodala 3-3 0-0 7, Livingston 2-2 0-0 4, Holiday 4-10 1-2 11, Barbosa 5-9 5-6 17, Kuzmic 2-2 2-2 6, Rush 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 46-82 22-27 126.

Philadelphia 17 17 29 23- 86

Golden State 32 29 35 30-126

3-Point Goals-Philadelphia 6-20 (Grant 2-3, Covington 2-6, Sampson 1-4, Wroten 1-5, McDaniels 0-1, Carter-Williams 0-1), Golden State 12-28 (Curry 3-6, Barbosa 2-4, Holiday 2-4, K.Thompson 2-8, Iguodala 1-1, Green 1-2, Barnes 1-3). Fouled Out-None. Rebounds-Philadelphia 55 (Covington 9), Golden State 48 (Green 10). Assists-Philadelphia 16 (Carter-Williams 6), Golden State 38 (Curry 9). Total Fouls-Philadelphia 16, Golden State 20. A-19,596 (19,596).

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Covington 4-13 0-0 10, Sims 9-13 1-2 19, Noel 3-13 2-3 8, Carter-Williams 1-7 2-4 4, Sampson 2-7 2-3 7, McDaniels 2-4 3-4 7, Grant 2-8 1-4 7, Aldemir 2-2 0-0 4, Wroten 4-13 1-1 10, Thomas 4-6 2-2 10. Totals 33-86 14-23 86.

GOLDEN STATE (126)

Barnes 3-6 1-2 8, Green 3-7 3-3 10, Speights 9-13 5-6 23, Curry 4-7 2-2 13, K.Thompson 6-14 0-0 14, Lee 5-9 3-4 13, Iguodala 3-3 0-0 7, Livingston 2-2 0-0 4, Holiday 4-10 1-2 11, Barbosa 5-9 5-6 17, Kuzmic 2-2 2-2 6, Rush 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 46-82 22-27 126.

Philadelphia 17 17 29 23- 86

Golden State 32 29 35 30-126

3-Point Goals-Philadelphia 6-20 (Grant 2-3, Covington 2-6, Sampson 1-4, Wroten 1-5, McDaniels 0-1, Carter-Williams 0-1), Golden State 12-28 (Curry 3-6, Barbosa 2-4, Holiday 2-4, K.Thompson 2-8, Iguodala 1-1, Green 1-2, Barnes 1-3). Fouled Out-None. Rebounds-Philadelphia 55 (Covington 9), Golden State 48 (Green 10). Assists-Philadelphia 16 (Carter-Williams 6), Golden State 38 (Curry 9). Total Fouls-Philadelphia 16, Golden State 20. A-19,596 (19,596).

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Covington 4-13 0-0 10, Sims 9-13 1-2 19, Noel 3-13 2-3 8, Carter-Williams 1-7 2-4 4, Sampson 2-7 2-3 7, McDaniels 2-4 3-4 7, Grant 2-8 1-4 7, Aldemir 2-2 0-0 4, Wroten 4-13 1-1 10, Thomas 4-6 2-2 10. Totals 33-86 14-23 86.

GOLDEN STATE (126)

Barnes 3-6 1-2 8, Green 3-7 3-3 10, Speights 9-13 5-6 23, Curry 4-7 2-2 13, K.Thompson 6-14 0-0 14, Lee 5-9 3-4 13, Iguodala 3-3 0-0 7, Livingston 2-2 0-0 4, Holiday 4-10 1-2 11, Barbosa 5-9 5-6 17, Kuzmic 2-2 2-2 6, Rush 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 46-82 22-27 126.

Philadelphia 17 17 29 23- 86

Golden State 32 29 35 30-126

3-Point Goals-Philadelphia 6-20 (Grant 2-3, Covington 2-6, Sampson 1-4, Wroten 1-5, McDaniels 0-1, Carter-Williams 0-1), Golden State 12-28 (Curry 3-6, Barbosa 2-4, Holiday 2-4, K.Thompson 2-8, Iguodala 1-1, Green 1-2, Barnes 1-3). Fouled Out-None. Rebounds-Philadelphia 55 (Covington 9), Golden State 48 (Green 10). Assists-Philadelphia 16 (Carter-Williams 6), Golden State 38 (Curry 9). Total Fouls-Philadelphia 16, Golden State 20. A-19,596 (19,596).

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