The Portland Trail Blazers (19-48) travel to face off against the Chicago Bulls (33-35) on Monday, March 18th. This game will be played at United Center in Chicago and televised on NBCS. The Bulls are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Trail Blazers are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Wizards. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Trail Blazers vs Bulls

The Trail Blazers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

In their most recent matchup, the Trail Blazers conveyed a message to the Pelicans with a score of 126-107. the Trail Blazers not only lost the game outright but also fell short of covering the spread as +13 point underdogs. Before the game, the over/under line was 215.5 points, and both teams ended up surpassing that mark.

As of now, the Trail Blazers are 19-48 overall and have gone 1-2 in their last three games. They currently rank 14th in the Western Conference and are 5th in the Northwest division.

Portland comes in with an overall ATS record of 31-35 so far this season. During this season, Portland has a 1-5 record against the spread as favorites and 30-30 as underdogs.

The Bulls Are Coming Off A Win

The Bulls picked up a win over the Wizards in their latest game, finishing with a score of 127-98. Heading into the second half, the Bulls were leading 67-45.

Across their last ten games, the Bulls have gone 6-4 and come into today’s game vs. the Trail Blazers with a record of 33-35. Currently, they are 9th in the Eastern Conference and 4th in the Central Division.

In terms of the spread, Chicago currently holds an ATS record of 35-32, which is above .500. On the road, the Bulls have an ATS record of 18-15 compared to a 17-17 record vs. the spread at home.

Trail Blazers Offense Breakdown

The Trail Blazers come into today’s game as the 28th ranked scoring offense at 107.7 points per game.

When it comes to scoring, the Trail Blazers are 28th in the NBA at 107.7 points per game. However, they are slightly better on the road, averaging 106.8 points compared to 108.6 at home.

Portland has outscored the NBA scoring average in just 26.9% of their games this season. In terms of pace, they are 19th in the league at 97.7 possessions per game.

When it comes to field goal percentage, the Blazers are 29th overall at 44%. They are also last in the NBA in true shooting percentage. From beyond the arc, Portland is 24th in three-point shooting at 35%.

Bulls Offense Breakdown

Chicago has recorded an average of 112.1 points per game (22nd) throughout 68 games games.

When it comes to scoring, the Bulls are 22nd in the league at 112.1 points per game. At home, they are averaging 111.6 points per game.

Chicago is 25th in the NBA in pace at 97.1 possessions per game. In terms of field goal percentage, the Bulls are shooting 46% from the field, which is 20th in the league.

So far this season, the Bulls have made 11.7 three-pointers per game, which is 25th in the NBA. In terms of free throws, they are 19th in both attempts and makes.

Trail Blazers Team Defense

Currently, the Trail Blazers’ defense holds the 17th rank in the NBA, allowing 115.9 points per game. The Portland defense has allowed opponents to shoot 35.2% from beyond the arc this season. Opposing teams are also hitting 49.3% of their field goal attempts vs. Portland.

Bulls Team Defense

Chicago’s defense is currently in line with the NBA average for points allowed, allowing an average of 113.6 points per game. Inside the arc, the Bulls defense is giving up a shooting percentage of 56.1% and 36.6% from three-point territory.

Key Players For The Trail Blazers And Bulls

In today’s game, our projections have Anfernee Simons leading the Trail Blazers with 22 points on 8/18 shooting from the field. This season, he is averaging 23.1 points per game along with 3.7 boards.

As for Chicago, DeMar DeRozan is projected to be the primary scorer for the Bulls. Our forecast has him finishing the game with 23, and adding 4 rebounds. Throughout the season, he has maintained a 47.3% field goal shooting rate and is averaging 23.2 points per game.

Trail Blazers vs Bulls Trends

• When looking at their past three road matchups, Portland has an ATS record of 2-1 while averaging 109 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.
• When looking at their past three matchups at home, Chicago has an ATS record of 2-1 while averaging 119 per game. The team went 2-1 overall in these games.
• Spanning across their last three games as the betting underdog, the Trail Blazers have gone 1-1-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-2.
• Across their last five matchups as the betting favorite, the Bulls have an overall record of 3-2 while going 2-3 against the spread.

Trail Blazers vs Bulls Prediction

In this Trail Blazers vs. Bulls matchup, our point-spread bet is on the Trail Blazers at +7.5. While we project the Bulls to win 112-105, our recommendation is to bet on the Trail Blazers for the point-spread.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 213, and our model predicts the Trail Blazers and Bulls to score a combined 217 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.