NBA Picks & Predictions for Thursday, April 7, 2011
By Anthony Rome
The Spread) – The Celtics hope to make one last run at the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference, but the Bulls stand in there way.
Oddsmakers from online sports book Bodog.com have made the Bulls a 4.5-point favorite over the Celtics for tonight’s game, which tips off at 8:00PM ET. The over/under total for this contest is currently sitting at 179 points.
The Celtics head into Thursday night’s game with a 54-23 overall record and are 23-15 on the road. According to latest NBA trends, Boston is 36-39-2 against the spread and 18-20 ATS on the road.
The Bulls enter tonight’s contest with a 57-20 overall record and are 34-5 at the United Center this season. They’re also 46-29-2 against the number this season and 23-14-2 ATS at home.
NBA Free Pick: It doesn’t appear as though the Bulls are ready to slow down and they’re awfully tough to beat at home. The Celtics took both games against the Bulls in Boston but fell in Chicago 90-79 in January. Derrick Rose scored 36 points in that contest, while Carlos Boozer added 22 points and 10 rebounds. The Celtics are just 1-4 against the spread in the last five overall meetings between these two teams, while the favorite is 6-2 ATS in the last eight games. Take the Bulls and lay the 4.5 points.
THURSDAY NBA FREE PICK: CHICAGO BULLS –4.5