NBA Pro Basketball Betting Action – Chicago at Boston

The Chicago Bulls (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS, 0-1 O/U) and Boston Celtics (2-0 SU, 2-0 ATS, 1-1 O/U) will reprise their thrilling first-round playoff series from last season when they meet at TD Banknorth Garden at 8 PM ET tonight.

The Bulls opened the season with a surprising 92-83 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, covering the NBA point spread as 3-point home underdogs while the game’s combined score played Under the 193-point O/U total.

Luol Deng led six Bulls players to reach double figures in scoring with 17 points.

The Celtics laid an emphatic 92-59 smackdown on the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday, easily covering the NBA point spread as 10-point home favorites while the game’s final score played Under the 183-point O/U total.

Ray Allen scored a game-high 18 points to lead the Celtics to victory while Rajon Rondo added a double-double with 10 points and 11 assists.

Here is a look at tonight’s key trends and NBA Betting Odds, followed by my in-depth analysis and expert NBA Free Picks.

• Bulls are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as a road underdog.
• Celtics are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. NBA Central.
• Celtics are 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 games following a SU win of more than 10 points.
• Over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.
• Over is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings in Boston.
• Bulls are 1-3-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
• Road team is 5-1-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
• Underdog is 6-1-1 ATS in the last 8 meetings.

NBA Odds:

• Chicago Bulls +12 -110
• Boston Celtics -12 -110
• Over/Under 187 -110

Analysis: The seventh-seeded Bulls gave the defending champions all they could handle with a league-record four games going into overtime in their first-round series, but everyone knows the series would have undoubtedly have had a different feel had 12-time all-star Kevin Garnett been available for Boston.

Having said that, I still like the Bulls to cover a point spread I believe is a bit too high in this contest tonight.

While the Celtics have gone an impressive 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games against NBA Central division ballclubs, the C’s have also gone a disappointing 0-3-1 ATS in their last four games following a SU win of more than 10 points.

The Bulls have gone a consistent 5-1 ATS in their last six games as a road underdog while the road team in this series has gone 5-1-1 ATS in the last seven meetings and the underdog when these two teams meet has gone 6-1-1 ATS in the last eight meetings.

While the Over has gone a spotless 4-0 in the last four meetings and 5-0 in the last five games in Boston, I like the C’s to come with a stellar defensive effort and keep this total Under the set O/U total.

Take the Bulls to cover the spread and the Under BetOnline NBA basketball bettors.

NBA Free Picks: Bulls +12 Points/Under 187 Total Points