Bulls vs Trail Blazers Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Friday, March 24th

Check out our free Bulls vs Trail Blazers pick and preview for this NBA game in Portland. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this NBA matchup.

Bulls vs Trail Blazers NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: Chicago Bulls at Portland Trail Blazers
Where: Portland at Moda Center
Date: Friday, March 24th
Betting Odds POR +2, CHI -131 | POR +108 O/U OFF

The Bulls come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 34-38. So far, the team has gone 36-36-0 against the spread. Across the team’s previous 3 games, they have gone 2-1 straight-up and 2-1 vs the spread.

Not only did the Bulls drop their last game to the 76ers. But they also picked up an ATS loss, as they fell by a score of 116-91 as 1 point underdogs. Chicago got off to a slow start, trailing by 28 points going into halftime. In the loss, Coby White led the team in scoring with 19 points on a field goal percentage of 61.5%.

The Trail Blazers come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 32-40. So far, the team has gone 35-37-0 against the spread. Against the spread, Portland has a mark of 1-2. Straight up, their record is 1-2 in these games.

Portland is going for yet another win, as they previously defeated the Jazz at home. With the 127-115 victory, they also covered the spread as 5 point underdogs. Portland went on to win the game, as they led by 12 heading into halftime. In the win, Damian Lillard led the team in scoring with 30 points on a field goal percentage of 42.1%.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

In the most recent matchup between the two teams, the Bulls picked up the 129-121 win over the Trail Blazers. The Bulls point margin of victory was enough to cover the spread as 3.0 point favorite. This has been the only matchup between the two teams this season. In last year’s head-to-head meetings, the Bulls averaged 118.5 points per game vs Portland, which was an increase over their season-long average. On the other side, the Trail Blazers also experienced an uptick in scoring during head-to-head matchups, averaging 114.0 points per game vs Chicago. The Bulls have had the better record vs the spread over the last 5 games, going 3-2. The team’s average scoring margin in these contests sits at 3 points per game. Chicago and Portland averaged a combined 235 points per game in these games, leading to an over-under mark of 3-2.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

Through 72 games, Chicago is averaging 113.2 points per game (20th). When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Bulls are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 99.2 per contest. If the Bulls offense is going to turn things around, they will need to either generate more possessions or improve their overall efficiency. Currently, they are just 14th ranked team in 3-point shooting percentage.

Against the Trail Blazers, the Bulls will need a stronger defensive effort as they are ranked just 17th in points allowed.

Before getting a bet down on this matchup, be sure to check in on the health status of DeMar DeRozan who is 2nd on the team in scoring at 25.1 points per game. At the time of this article, DeRozan is listed as questionable. For the season, he is 2nd on the team in usage rate and is 41st in the NBA in player efficiency rating. If he is able to play, Chicago benefit from having both of their top scorers as Zach LaVine leads the team and is 22nd in the league in scoring (24.9). For today’s matchup, he will going against a defense ranked 25th in points allowed to shooting guards.

This season, the Portland offense has had their problems scoring the ball as they are a below average unit at 114.4 points per game. The Trail Blazers come into the game as one of the league’s better 3-point shooting teams, connecting at a rate of 13.1 made 3’s per game. Despite shooting the ball well from outside, Portland has not done a good job taking care of the ball. So far, they are averaging 13.7 turnovers per game.

Against the Bulls, the Trail Blazers will need a stronger defensive effort as they are ranked just 27th in points allowed.

A key injury to note in this game is the absence of the Trail Blazers 2nd leading scorer, Anfernee Simons. In his 62 games, Simons is averaging 21.1 points per game while dishing out 4.1 assists and grabbing 2.6 rebounds. In his absence, the team will be looking for even more production out of Damian Lillard, who leads the team and is 3rd in the NBA at 32.2 points per contest. For the season, he has connected on 46.3% of his field goal attempts while taking 24.5% of the team’s shots from the floor.