The Chicago Bulls (18-24) travel to face off against the Portland Trail Blazers (13-28) on Sunday, January 19th. This game will be played at Moda Center in Portland and televised on KATU. Both the Bulls and Trail Blazers will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip off is scheduled for 9:00 ET.
Bulls vs Trail Blazers
The Bulls Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
The Bulls fell to 18-24 on the season after a 125-123 home loss to the Hornets on Friday. Chicago, who were -4.5 point favorites, not only lost the game but also failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game ended at 248, exceeding the O/U line of 235.5 by 12.5 points.
Chicago went on a 10-0 run to take a 101-96 lead but couldn’t hold on, as they were outscored 27-20 in the 4th quarter after leading 103-98 going into the final period.
The Trail Blazers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
The Trail Blazers fell to 13-28 on the season after a 125-103 home loss to the Rockets on Saturday. Portland entered the game as +10.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread, losing by 22 points. The total score of 228 points went over the pre-game line of 223.5.
Portland’s struggles began early, as the Rockets went on a 10-0 run after the game was tied 2-2. Although the Blazers edged out the Rockets 27-26 in the 2nd quarter, they couldn’t keep up in the 2nd half, where they were outscored 74-53, including a 36-24 3rd quarter and a 38-29 4th quarter.
Bulls Offense Breakdown
Nikola Vucevic’s 40-point performance, including 17 in the 4th quarter, highlighted the Bulls’ offense in their loss to the Hornets. Vucevic shot 68% from the field, adding 13 rebounds and 3 assists.
Zach LaVine contributed 19 points, with 10 coming in the 3rd quarter, while Coby White added 18 points, 12 of which came in the 2nd quarter, hitting 4 threes at an 80% rate. The Bulls connected on 14 threes, shooting 35% from deep and 50.5% overall.
Trail Blazers Offense Breakdown
Scoot Henderson led the Trail Blazers with 21 points and 11 assists in their 125-103 loss to the Rockets, shooting 54.5% from the field and hitting 3 threes at a 60% clip. Toumani Camara added 17 points, shooting 58.3%, while Shaedon Sharpe contributed 13 points despite shooting just 35.7%.
Portland made 12 threes, shooting 33.3% from deep and 45.3% overall. Henderson scored 8 points in the 4th quarter, while Camara added 5. Sharpe and Anfernee Simons also chipped in 5 points each in the final period.
Bulls Team Defense
The Bulls’ defense struggled early, giving up 36 points in the 1st quarter and 37 in the 2nd, but they tightened up in the 2nd half, allowing 25 points in the 3rd and 27 in the 4th. Despite the improved effort, they still gave up 125 points in the loss.
Chicago allowed the Hornets to shoot 50% from the field, including 38% from three, with 13 threes made. Charlotte also went 16/20 from the free-throw line. The Bulls gave up 13 offensive rebounds but recorded 9 steals and 3 blocks.
Trail Blazers Team Defense
Defensively, the Bulls struggled in the 1st and 2nd quarters, giving up 36 and 37 points, respectively, in their 125-123 loss to the Hornets. They tightened up in the 3rd, allowing just 25 points, and gave up 27 in the 4th. Overall, the Hornets shot 50% from the field.
From beyond the arc, the Bulls allowed 13 made threes on 38% shooting. Charlotte also went 16/20 from the free-throw line. Chicago recorded 33 defensive rebounds but gave up 13 offensive boards. They also added 9 steals and 3 blocks.
Bulls vs Trail Blazers Trends
- Although Chicago has a straight up record of 1-2 in their last three road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 1-2. The team averaged 111 points per game in these games.
- Although Portland has a straight up record of 2-8 in their last ten home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 5-5. The team averaged 107 points per game in these games.
- Spanning across their last three games as the betting underdog, the Trail Blazers have gone 0-3 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 0-3.
- In their last five games as the betting favorite, the Bulls have a straight up record of 1-4 and an ATS mark of 1-4.
Bulls vs Trail Blazers Prediction
We’re backing the Bulls for a victory, with the projected score at 136-110. Additionally, we favor them to cover the spread, so we recommend placing a bet on the Bulls at -5.5.
Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 235.5 and given that our model is projecting 246 points between the teams, we like the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* 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.
Last updated:January 19, 2025 Bulls, Portland Trail Blazers