NBA Playoffs Picks & Predictions for Saturday, April 16, 2011
By Nate Steele
(The Spread) – Tom Thibodeau's first NBA coaching gig has gone as well as anyone could have hoped this season as he has led the Chicago Bulls to the NBA's best record as they prepare to open their opening round NBA Playoff series Saturday at 1:00PM EST versus the Indiana Pacers.
View Current NBA Basketball Betting Odds
Oddsmakers from online spots book SBGGLOBAL.com have made the Bulls 11.5-point favorites over the Pacers, while the over/under total for this game is currently 188.5 points.
The Pacers compiled a 62-20 record this season and were an unbelievable 36-4 at the United Center, the site of today's game. 49-32 against the spread and 34-48 on over-unders. Indiana was 37-45 on the season and had a 13-28 record on the road. The Pacers were 37-42 ATS this season and 37-45 with over-unders. The Bulls won three of the four meetings this season.
According to the latest NBA trends, Chicago is 8-4 against the spread and straight up versus Indiana over the last three seasons. Six of 12 games in this series have gone over the total during the last three seasons.
Probable NBA MVP frontrunner Derrick Rose has been the catalyst for the Bulls this season with averages of 25.0 points per game and 7.7 assists from his point guard position. Danny Granger led the Pacers during the regular season at 20.5 points and 1.1 steals.
NBA Free Pick: Chicago has been on a mission all season and expect nothing to let up during its playoff run. Indiana shot a ton of 3-pointers during the season, yet were not a great 3-point shooting team. Against a team the defensive caliber of the Bulls, that can spell quick disaster. Chicago will look to force the Pacers into frustrating miss after frustrating miss, then play its effective brand of methodical basketball on the offensive end. I can't the Bulls laying an egg here. This is a big home spread, but Chicago is one of those teams capable of winning by 20-plus when everything is clicking. Rose should lead them to an easy win here to lay the foundation for this series.
SATURDAY NBA FREE PICK: CHICAGO BULLS -11.5