NBA Basketball Betting Odds – Defiant Noah and Bulls Won’t Back Down Against James and Cavs

Joakim Noah the Chicago Bulls may not be in quite the same class as LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the Bulls and their feisty center won’t back up one inch as they try to take down the Cavaliers and cover the NBA betting odds in tonight’s Game 2 showdown which gets underway Quicken Loans Arena.

Monday, April 19, 8:00 PM ET
NBA Betting Odds: Cavaliers -10.5
(O/U 191.5)

TV: TNT, FSO, CSN-C
Radio: ESPN Radio 1000

Chicago Bulls (41-42 SU, 42-39-2 ATS, 34-48-1 O/U)
Cleveland Cavaliers (62-21 SU, 39-43-1 ATS, 39-41-3 O/U)

If you’re a pro basketball fan, then you’ve got to love Noah’s ‘never-back-down’ mentality every time he takes the floor. The outspoken center recently unleashed a verbal assault on the city of Cleveland and Boston Celtics superstar Kevin Garnett.

Here is a look at the key head-to-head trends surrounding this contest, followed by my in-depth analysis and expert NBA picks.

Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
Home team is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
Under is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings in Cleveland.
Bulls are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 meetings in Cleveland.

Chicago 411
Bulls are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games following a S.U. loss.
Bulls are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a road underdog.
Bulls are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 road games.
Bulls are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games as an underdog.

The Bulls got a team-high 28 points from gifted second-year point guard Derrick Rose who is reportedly fired up about tonight’s contest after the Bulls outscored the Cavaliers by a basket over the second half of Game 1. Rose added 10 assists and seven rebounds in the loss to lead Chicago as they failed to cover the NBA betting odds as an 11.5-point road underdog.

Cleveland 411
Cavaliers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 home games.
Cavaliers are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games overall.
Cavaliers are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games as a favorite.
Cavaliers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a S.U. win.

The Cavaliers got a team-high 24 points from LeBron James and 19 points and 10 assists from Mo Williams to beat the Cavaliers and cover the NBA betting line as an 11.5-point home favorite.

Analysis: I know the Cleveland Cavaliers are favored to win again at home by a nearly identical NBA point spread as Game 1 – and I’m still backing the Chicago Bulls to cover the pro basketball betting line tonight.

Chicago’s second half in Game 1 told me that the young Bulls can play with the Cavaliers at least close enough to cover the spread as a double digit underdog.

I also believe that Derrick Rose will be more aggressive from the outset tonight after repeatedly torching the Cavaliers in the second half en route to his game-high 28 points.

I like the fact that the Bulls have gone a blistering 7-1 ATS in their last eight games following an SU loss while also going an equally impressive 7-2 ATS in their last nine road games.

The Cavaliers have gone just 2-5 ATS in their last seven home games and an even uglier 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games overall – and I believe their dismal ATS ways will come back to bite them in the rear end tonight while the final score plays under the set O/U total for the second consecutive meeting between these teams and sixth time in the last seven meetings overall.

NBA Free Picks: Bulls +10.5 Points/Under 191.5 Total Points