NBA: Chicago Bulls vs. New Orleans Pelicans Preview, Odds, Prediction

The Chicago Bulls head to New Orleans in search of a win that would allow them to stay in the race for the home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Bulls lost the pace with the top teams in the conference in the worst possible time, and are desperately seeking a way to get back into the rhythm. Meanwhile, the Pelicans are getting ready for the playoffs, but some of their players are injured, which creates problems for their coaching staff.

Preview

Chicago Bulls (42-30, -120) lost four of the past five, and in general, they have been bad in the recent month or so. At one point, the Bulls were atop of the East, but now, they struggle to deliver decent performances.

DeRozan’s form severely dropped, and that might be the main reason why the Bulls started losing. The veteran guard was playing at the MVP level, but now, he is far away from that. A few nights ago, Chicago was torn into pieces in Milwaukee, where they lost to the Bucks, 126-98.

Nikola Vucevic had 22 points and seven boards, while DeRozan and LaVine scored 21 buckets each, shooting 16-for-39 combined. The problem was that they were the only players in Chicago with a double-digit number of points.

New Orleans Pelicans (30-42, +100) are back home following a three-game tour that saw them winning in San Antonio and Atlanta and losing in Charlotte in the most recent clash they had. It was a tight defeat against the Hornets, 106-103, but it appears that the boys from the Big Easy couldn’t do better.

Lots of injuries and the fact that it was the third straight event on the road prevented Willie Green’s boys from winning. CJ McCollum gave his best, scoring 27 points and having six assists in 34 minutes. However, the pressure on the rival’s backcourt wasn’t that great without Ingram available.

The only one who was giving him propper support was Jonas Valanciunas, managing to record a monstrous double-double having 24 buckets and 18 boards, with five assists. The Lithuanian big man evolved into a top 10 center right now.

Head to Head

The year’s first meeting took place way back on October 22, when Bulls triumphed at home, 128-112. LaVine was masterful, with 32 points, while DeRozan scored 26. Ball posted a triple-double with 17 points and 11 assists and 10 boards. Brandon Ingram ended the night as the Pels’ top scorer with 26 points, Devonte Graham had 21 and Valanciunas 18.

Prediction

The Pelicans are in problems with injuries, and it is expected not to see Ingram tonight, which is a great blow. Meanwhile, the guests have certain problems with the same thing, as LaVine currently stands as questionable. Even so, we will take a risk here and bet on the guests from Illinois. They will have Vucevic and DeRozan anyway, which is, in our opinion, enough to defeat the Pelicans. If they can’t do that, then finishing among the top four teams in the East isn’t for them. To be perfectly honest here.

Pick: Bulls win