In the first game to tip-off on ESPN Friday, we have the Boston Celtics playing the Chicago Bulls at 7:30 p.m. ET. The last time these two teams played each other, the Bulls defeated the Celtics 102-96 on Apr. 19.
The Celtics are coming in tonight’s contest off a dominating 132-96 win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Boston has a 3-2 record in their last five games and is 5-5 in their last 10.
The Bulls snapped their four-game losing streak on Thursday with a 120-99 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. Chicago failed to reach the 100-point threshold in those game and was losing by an average of 13 points. The Bulls have lost two-straight games at home and are 4-6 in their last 10 games. We’ll go over some ideal picks on DraftKings Sportsbook centered around the game here.
Celtics vs. Bulls, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Pick ATS: Celtics -4
Boston is barely hanging onto the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs as the Miami Heat are behind them at the 7th spot. The Celtics need this win as they are only a game behind the Atlanta Hawks for the 5th seed and 2.0 games behind the New York Knicks for the 4th spot.
Boston will not have Jaylen Brown for tonight’s game, who listed as out with an ankle injury. Without Brown, both Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker will have to shoulder a majority of the scoring for the Celtics. Boston is 2-5 against the spread in their last seven games and 12-3 ATS in their last 15 games against the Bulls. The Celtics are also 14-18 ATS away from the TD Garden this season but are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 road games. As for Chicago, they are in the same situation as the Celtics. The Bulls are currently sitting on the outside looking in for the play-in tournament and essentially need to win out.
The Bulls just played on Thursday night, when they got an important 120-99 victory over the Charlotte Hornets, who are just one of the teams in the play-in tourney. Zach LaVine made his return to the court against the Hornets after missing 11 games due to health and safety protocols. The first-time All-star only had 13 points in 27 minutes, but it was enough to help capture the win. The Bulls are 1-4 against the spread in their last five games and are 3-7 in their last 10 home games. Overall, they have a record of 12-19-1 ATS at the United Center and are 2-4 in their last six back-to-back games.
Player Prop: Jayson Tatum O4.5 assists (+100)
This player prop is currently sitting at plus-money, but could easily switch over to minus-money the closer we get to game time. Tatum has been an absolute monster for the Celtics recently, which includes a 60-point effort against the San Antonio Spurs. However, we are going to stay away from the point prop and instead attack the assists. In his last five games, Tatum has gone over 4.5 assists three times. Furthermore in Boston’s last 10 games, he’s averaging 5.1 assists and has gone over his prop total six times. We have to think that the Bulls will try to limit Tatum’s scoring, which means he will have to get others involved.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA/MI), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (NH/CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA) or call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN).21+ (18+ NH). CO/IL/IN/IA/NH/NJ/PA/TN/VA/WV/MI only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.