NBA 2021/22 on Friday, 25/03/2022
There are a lot of teams right now that will be putting all their efforts into the fight for a playoff spot between now and mid-April. Two of them are the New Orleans Pelicans and the Chicago Bulls, who will go head-to-head tonight.
The visitors have a much better chance of surviving the regular season. Nevertheless, I will explain in my Pelicans Bulls tip why the home side could come out on top in the end, at least in this duel.
Whenever the Bulls have to compete against the best teams in the league, disillusionment sets in at the latest after the game! Despite a good season, the red and white team just can’t make it to the NBA Olympics.
Only yesterday, the franchise from Illinois was once again given a severe beating by a top team – and what a beating it was. In the 98-126 defeat against the reigning title holders, Chicago was downright outclassed.
At the latest at this point, basketball fans should pay special attention. The Bulls’ record from season games against one of the top three teams in both conferences is an unbelievable “0 to 16”, which leaves even sober analysts like me speechless.
The defeat against the Bucks could have been a blow from which the Bulls’ morale might not recover too quickly. For in this defeat, several negative records were set at the same time.
The red and white team allowed the highest opponent shooting this season (61%), did not produce a single fastbreak for the first time and had only five points from the free-throw line until the beginning of the final quarter – when the defending champions noticeably slowed down.
In short, the Bulls’ confidence of making a playoff run was thoroughly reality-checked by the defending champions. The Pelicans, for their part, can only benefit from that tonight!
There are actually several reasons why I believe New Orleans will win at home. Especially since it should not be forgotten that Zack LaVine and Lonzo Ball were not on the floor against the Bucks and will probably be out this time as well.
However, LaVine is the one of the two who was listed as “Day-to-Day” and could still slide into the starting five with a lot of luck. But regardless of that: the Pelicans are still fighting for the playoffs themselves.
Even before the introduction of the play-in tournament, the season was already over for many franchises from the lower half of the table at this point. But the home side, with an eye on the standings, have every reason to go all the way.
The Pelicans have to defend their 10th place with all their might, because then they also belong to the franchises for which the season continues after 11 April. The trend is already pointing in the right direction.
While the Bulls have won only one of their last five NBA games, the home side has won two of its last three, even beating the game-high Hawks 117-112.
However, New Orleans’ chances would be a lot better if their superstar Brandon Ingram could play. But his absence also has many an advantage, as the leading bookmakers are currently offering extremely interesting Pelicans Bulls odds.
Personally, I’m predicting a 60-40 affair in favour of the home side. However, the bookmakers’ favouritism towards the Bulls gives me a good reason to place an underdog bet.
A win for the underrated Pelicans is being offered at around 2.00 on betting bazaars on both sides of the pond, while a win for the supposedly stronger team from Illinois is currently being offered at 1.78.
Conclusion: The Bulls were given a run for their money by the Bucks in their last game. In fact, in their showdown with the defending champions, the red and white suffered one of their heaviest rubbings of the current season.
The loss of Zack Lavine and Lonzo Ball clearly left its mark on the visitors, even if the recent return of Anthony Caruso has stabilised the defence somewhat.
Nevertheless, I think the home side is strong enough to capitalise on the visitors’ low scoring. Especially since New Orleans has won two of its last three NBA games and even managed to beat the Hawks.
My Pelicans Bulls tip: Win New Orleans!
