Game 5 of this series will shift back to Chicago on Tuesday as the Philadelphia 76ers try and close out the series vs the Injury riddled Chicago Bulls. The game is scheduled for a 9:30 pm start time and it will be televised live on NBATV. Currently the odds have Chicago favored by 5 points with the total sitting at 171.5 points for the contest.
Free Analysis: Despite a poor shooting night, the 76ers managed to take over when it mattered in Game 4 on Sunday to take a commanding 3-1 series lead in the best of seven series. While Rose being out of the lineup for Chicago has proven to be a huge advantage in Philadelphia’s favor, the team also made significant lineup changes after Game 1 that have paid dividends. Spencer Hawes moved into the starting lineup at center and has led the team in scoring in each of the last two games, going for 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting in Sunday’s Game 4 after posting 21 in Game 3. Evan Turner has moved into the shooting guard spot, which has allowed Holiday to attack the basket more - especially since Rose is not standing in front of him on defense. The backcourt trio of Holiday, PG Lou Williams and SG Evan Turner combined to make just 12-of-46 FG (26%) and 3-for-12 threes. However, SF Andre Iguodala made his presence felt on both ends of the court, scoring 14 points (5-of-11 FG), grabbing a dozen rebounds, and getting three steals. This was quite an improvement from his five points on 2-of-9 FG (0-for-5 threes) in Game 3. PF Elton Brand pulled down nine rebounds on Sunday, but has just 3.5 PPG in his past two games. The 76ers are an adequate 17-18 SU (18-17 ATS) on the road this season, and have held the Bulls to 87.7 PPG on 43.5% FG in this series. With Noah and Rose both out for Game 5, somebody for Chicago has to step forward. Bulls PF Carlos Boozer has been the top non-injured player on the Bulls roster this postseason with 14.8 PPG (48% FG) and 8.3 RPG. SF Luol Deng has shot just 10-for-30 FG during Chicago’s three-game losing skid, and needs to be more assertive on the offensive end. The backcourt trio of SG Richard Hamilton, PG C.J. Watson and PG John Lucas have combined to make just 18-of-63 FG (28.6%) in the past two games, but they did contribute in other ways with 21 assists and just 10 turnovers. PF Taj Gibson filled in nicely for Noah on Sunday, scoring 14 points with 12 rebounds and four blocked shots. He will play another huge role in determining Tuesday’s outcome. Chicago is 27-8 SU (19-16 ATS) at home this season, allowing just 88.5 PPG on 42.2% FG at United Center. Head to head, the home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings, while the favorite is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
Free Pick: Going to look at the Under in this one. both games played here in this series went over the total, but both those games were with Rose and Noah in the lineup. That will take a lot of points out of Chicago's lineup and they will once again have to look to their defense if they hope for a game 6. The Bulls have played great defense all year at home and should be able to keep a Sixers offense that struggles to score on the road in check here. Philly knows a thing or two about defense and while they play much better defense at home they still should be able to hold an injury riddled Bulls offense in check here. I don't expect a running game in this one and the Bulls know that they need to play great defense if this series is to continue. Look for a grind it out game that will put 169 or less points.
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Free Picks: Philadelphia 76ers at Chicago Bulls Betting
What NBA bettors need to know about 76ers vs. Bulls - including a picks from Pregame.com's Stephen Nover with host Marco D'Angelo.