As we approach the end of the online betting NBA season, the playoff picture begins to tighten up. The Chicago Bulls, who went out and picked up Dwayne Wade this past offseason, might have gotten this season off to rough start but the Bulls have pulled through and are now very legitimate playoff contenders. Most sportsbooks don’t think that Chicago has much of a chance of winning this year’s title, but don’t count the Bulls out of the postseason just yet.
Chicago will get a chance to build on their playoff aspirations Thursday night when they face off against the Boston Celtics at home in the United Center. Both the Celtics and the Bulls compete in the Eastern Conference, but since Boston ranks second in the conference while the Bulls rank 7th, those who bet on basketball can expect the bookies to come out in Boston’s favor. Let’s take a look.
ONLINE BETTING NBA ODDS – REGULAR SEASON – Thursday, February 16th
Boston Celtics +1 (-110) 212 (-110) -103
Chicago Bulls -1 (-110) 212 (-110) -117
The sportsbooks have dropped a bombshell on players by slightly favoring the Bulls over the East’s No. 2 contender. It’s not often that the bookies stray away from tradition, which leads longtime players to believe that there has been some very interesting action on this particular matchup.
The Bulls will be coming into this contest with a 27-29 record that places them 7th in the East as well as 3rd in the Central Division. The Bulls are coming off their most recent 105-94 victory over the Toronto Raptors, but before that Chicago hit a bit of a rough bump by posting 3 consecutive losses. Overall, the Bulls have gone 2-4 in their last 6 games. Yet, somehow, the online betting NBA odds still think that they have a pretty good chance of upsetting the Celtics Thursday night.
More than halfway through a pretty successful season, the Celtics have been able to post a 37-19 record that places Boston just 2 ½ games behind the conference-leading Cavaliers, as well as 1st in the Atlantic Division. Boston has performed well all season long but things have really taken off for the Celtics in the New Year. In addition to entering Thursday’s contest with a 4-game winning streak, in their last 12 games Boston has delivered a near unblemished 11-1 record. Nevertheless, the Celts will still be coming into their game against the Bulls as the sportsbook underdogs.
The Bulls will turn to Jimmy Butler to lead them past the Celtics. Butler is currently leading the Bulls in points, averaging 24.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. Second for the Bulls is veteran Dwayne Wade who is draining 19.1 points, 4.45 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game.
Boston will rely on Isaiah Thomas who is leading the team with his averages of 29.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. Second for the Celtics in points is Avery Bradley who is netting 17.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.
