Celtics vs Chicago Bulls Prediction 30 January 2025

🔊 Can the "Bulls" challenge the reigning champions? The NBA regular season will pit Boston against Chicago. The hosts have been slipping up recently, which the Bulls will boldly try to exploit. The visitors are executing their shots well, which means the hosts will need more efficient possessions. Tatum and company can bring victories back to the "TD Garden." However, it's worth predicting that a barrage of Chicago's three-pointers will keep the intrigue alive until the final minutes.

📊 HEAD-TO-HEAD

The last match took place at the end of December. Boston secured a confident away victory with a score of 123:98. Interestingly, in the last 5 head-to-head meetings, the team playing away has won.

🏀 BOSTON CELTICS

The champions are in second place in the East (68.1% wins), but in the last 10 games, they have faced 5 defeats. Recently, there was a setback against Houston (112:114). Before that, Mazzulla's team lost to the Lakers with a score of 96:117. We understand that a team of this caliber cannot remain in crisis for long. At any given moment, the Celtics remind everyone that they still have one of the best offenses in the tournament (117.2 points). The execution of long-range shots is at a rather low level - 36.4%. But the hosts rely on quantity rather than quality. In the matchup against Chicago, there may be an exceptionally high number of three-pointers attempted. After all, the visitors are proponents of fast-paced basketball - the "Celts" will gladly adopt this style. Against the Mavericks (122:107), the leaders showed themselves at a good level. Yes, the absence of White is an unpleasant circumstance, but his playing load will be easily distributed by the coaching staff. Pritchard, for instance, might get much more responsibility - he hasn't disappointed so far (14.1 points).

🏀 CHICAGO BULLS

The Chicago representatives are in an uncertain state - they are either fighting for the playoffs or tanking the remainder of the season. Judging by recent results in matches against Denver (129:121) and the Clippers (112:99), we can speak of the Bulls' existing ambitions. This is all thanks to Vucevic and LaVine demonstrating an exceptional level of offensive play. On average, the "Bulls" score 116.7 points (7th in the NBA). Unlike their opponent, their execution of long-range shots is at a very solid level - 37.2%. However, all positive aspects of their offense come with one major drawback - defense. High speeds force them to push the issue of protecting their own basket to the back burner, resulting in them conceding 120 points. Only Washington is worse. Nevertheless, Chicago can put up a fight. In games involving this team, an average of 236.7 points is scored. We assume that Chicago will drag Boston into another shootout.

📝 EDITORIAL PREDICTION

The distribution of odds indicates a clear advantage for Boston. The Celtics are the reigning champions and rightfully favorites. We believe that in pursuit of redemption, the "Celts" will try very hard. Tatum and Brown are capable of easily breaking through Chicago's defense with individual actions. The team play should also be at a high level - even without White. Chicago will continue to play in their characteristic manner: fast, with plenty of shots and without looking back at their basket. Opponents can shoot a lot, which results in high scoring even with average execution. We suggest considering a bet on total over 233.5 points.