Cleveland Cavaliers vs Chicago Bulls March 12th NBA Betting Preview & Picks

Both teams are almost certainly heading to the playoffs this season, with the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers jockeying for playoff positioning as one of the top six seeds in the Eastern Conference.

The Cavs are coming off a loss to the Miami Heat on the road but have won the two games prior to that.

The Bulls, meanwhile, are coming off a huge win over the Detroit Pistons after dropping five straight games.

We should be in for an exciting NBA game!

Betting Odds & Lines

The point spread for this game is set at Bulls -5.0, while the over/under is set at 223.0 points.

Darius Garland on Fire

There were initial concerns that the Cavs may have to shut down Darius Garland for an extended period of time after dealing with a back injury, but instead, Garland has turned his game up to a whole new level, as he is averaging 28.2 points on 46.5 percent shooting to go along with 11.2 assists per game in his last five games.

Against the Heat last night, Garland put up 24 points and ten assists, although he shot just 4-of-17 from the field. However, he made up for his poor shooting night by getting to the free-throw line, as he knocked down 15 of his 16 attempts.

Garland is an All-Star at just 22 years old for a reason. He’s wise beyond his years and goes out there with a willingness to be great.

Cavs Players to Watch Out For

With no Jarrett Allen in the lineup, it’ll be up to Evan Mobley to carry the Cavs’ offense down near the paint. Mobley put up 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting to go along with 12 rebounds and four assists against Miami. 

Lauri Markkanen provided 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting. 

The Cavs could use more out of Kevin Love in this one, as he had 11 points on just 4-of-5 shooting from the floor.

This season, Cleveland is 37-26-3 against the spread and 26-38-2 on over/unders. They are 18-17 as the away team.

Watch Out For DeMar DeRozan

DeMar DeRozan’s hot season continues. Since the start of February, DeRozan is averaging 32.6 points on 52.3 percent shooting to go along with 6.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.

Because of DeRozan’s play this season, the Bulls find themselves near the top of the Eastern Conference, and DeRozan finds himself in the MVP conversation for the first time in his career. 

This season, Chicago is 36-29-1 against the spread and 33-31-2 on over/unders. They are 24-10 as the home team.

Bulls Win

The Bulls have seen some slippage as of late, but they should be able to create some new momentum down the stretch of the season and take advantage of a depleted Cavs team.

DeRozan should continue to score at a high level, with Zach LaVine providing an extra punch.

Expect the Bulls to be able to cover the spread as well.

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