Indiana Pacers vs Chicago Bulls Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 31/12/2021, 05:30  by Joseph King | Modified on 31/12/2021 at 11:35 in NBA Predictions

One of the biggest surprises of the season, the 22-10 Chicago Bulls head to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to take on The Indiana Pacers in this Eastern Conference matchup. The visitors have had an incredible year so far and currently sit second in the East, just a half game behind leaders Brooklyn. The Bulls will be dealing with some COVID issues, with starting PG Lonzo Ball and influential role player Alex Caruso the most notable absences. Despite these key players missing out, Chicago will feel they have more than enough firepower to walk out of Indiana with a win, as DeMar DeRozan, Zach Lavine and Nikola Vucevic are all set to suit up for this one. DeRozan, in particular, is having one of his best ever seasons in his 13th year in the league and looks set to make his fifth all-star game selection. The USC product is averaging 26.8 points per game, his second highest points tally in his career. 

The Pacers have been hugely disappointing this year and currently sit on a 14-21 record which puts them 13th in the East and four games behind eighth place Washington. They are dealing with some COVID issues of their own and will miss starting PG Malcom Brogdan, influential rookie upstart Chris Duarte and a number of other role players. Despite the poor results so far for the Pacers, they have been a formidable side at home and Indiana proves a tough place to play for many NBA teams. The Pacers are 11-8 in their arena as opposed to an abysmal 3-13 on the road and they will be hoping that their strong home court advantage will allow them to remain competitive in this matchup. On paper, the Pacers should have enough to compete with the Bulls here, all-star forward Domantas Sabonis is playing up to his usual standards and Myles Turner has the interior defensive presence to positively affect games. Caris LeVert provides a good offensive spark for the team and head coach Rick Carsile is a proven winner in the league.