Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Chicago Bulls Predictions, Picks, Odds

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

4 minute read

Regular-season NBA action will resume on Saturday night with a Central Division showdown between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls. Coverage begins from United Center in Chicago at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Score Prediction

Cavaliers 112, Bulls 108

Best Bets

Cavaliers +3 (-110) at DraftKings

Cavaliers vs. Bulls Predictions

After finishing 13^th in the East with a record of 22-50 SU last year, Cleveland bounced back to a surprisingly strong start to this season, as the Cavaliers opened with an impressive 35-21 SU and 34-20-2 ATS stretch – despite getting tagged as underdogs in 28 of those contests.

Cleveland has been incredibly inconsistent since the All-Star Break though, considering the Cavs’ enter Saturday riding a bumpy 3-6 SU and ATS skid – while tallying just 108.2 OPPG and allowing 112.2 DPPG across that stretch.

On the other hand, Chicago also stormed out to an excellent start to the season, as the Bulls kicked things off with an impressive 26-10 SU and 22-14 ATS run – with five of those SU victories coming in matchups they were underdogs in.

The Bulls have been decimated by health issues since mid-January though, considering Chicago enters Saturday riding a bumpy 14-16 SU and 14-15-1 ATS stretch, which includes a 2-5 SU record without two-time All-Star Zach LaVine – and a record of 12-11 SU with him.

I’ll back Cleveland here, as the Bulls are 1-5 SU and 0-6 ATS in their last six games, while generating just 110.8 OPPG and allowing 117.5 DPPG during that timeframe – setting the stage for another unfavorable matchup against a Cavs’ squad that’s surrendering just 107.8 DPPG across their latest 7-6 SU stretch.

Cavaliers vs. Bulls Betting Odds

More Odds | Futures Odds

Cavaliers vs. Bulls Betting Resources

• Matchup: Central
• Date: Saturday, March 12, 2022
• Venue: United Center
• Location: Chicago, IL
• TV-Time: NBA League Pass - 8:00 p.m. ET
• Injury Report

Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Analysis

• SU: 38-27
• ATS: 37-26-2
• O/U: 25-39-1

After last year’s disappointing 22-50 SU showing, Cleveland barreled out to a surprisingly solid start to this season, as the Cavaliers kicked things off with an impressive 35-21 SU stretch – while leading the league in various defensive categories across that timeframe (102.4 DPPG, 1.032 DE).

The Cavs’ defense has been slightly less dominant since mid-February though, and their offense hasn’t picked up quite enough slack, considering Cleveland enters Saturday riding a rocky 3-6 SU and ATS skid – while scoring just 108.2 OPPG and allowing 112.2 DPPG across that stretch.

Chicago Bulls Betting Analysis

• SU: 40-26
• ATS: 36-29-1
• O/U: 33-32-1

After last year’s lackluster 31-41 SU showing, the Bulls went out and made some bold acquisitions this past offseason, which ultimately reshaped their entire roster, as LaVine now finds himself partnered up with a dynamic supporting cast that includes DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, Nikola Vucevic, Alex Caruso and others.

Chicago has stalled out recently due to a revolving door of health issues though, highlighted by the Bulls yielding shameful records of 14-16 SU and 14-15-1 ATS across their last 30 games – with nearly a third of those SU losses coming in the absence of LaVine (5).

Cavaliers vs. Bulls Head-to-Head

The Cavaliers won two-of-three regular-season meetings against Chicago last year, with the first two matchups staying well under the total at an average of 199.5 PPG – while the third went over with a score of 121-105 (O 210). The Bulls and Cavs’ split their first two matchups of this season 1-1 though, with the first meeting staying under the number at a score of 115-92 (U 212.5) – while the second went over with a score of 117-104 (O 214.5). 

Key Players to Watch

• CLE: Darius Garland - PG (21 PPG, 3.4 REB, 8.2 AST)
• CLE: Evan Mobley - C (14.8 PPG, 8.2 REB, 1.7 BLK)
• CHI: DeMar DeRozan - SG (28.1 PPG, 5.4 REB, 5.1 AST)
• CHI: Zach LaVine - PG (24.6 PPG, 4.9 REB, 4.5 AST)

Cavaliers vs. Bulls Conclusion

After snapping a five-game losing streak with a narrow win in Detroit on Wednesday night (W, 114-108), the Bulls return home for Saturday’s contest as short favorites over the Cavs’ at United Center – marking just the second time Chicago has been favored across their last seven games.

I’ll back Cleveland here, as the Cavs’ enter Saturday riding a relatively pedestrian 7-6 SU and ATS stretch, while tallying just 107.6 OPPG and allowing 107.8 DPPG across that window – likely serving as a difficult task for a Bulls squad that’s surrendered 116+ PTS in five of their last eight games (116.4 DPPG).

Cavaliers vs. Bulls Betting Trends

• The Bulls are 0-6 ATS in their last six games.
• The Cavaliers are 6-4 ATS in their last ten matchups against Chicago.
• The total has gone UNDER in six of the last seven Bulls' games.
• The total has gone UNDER in four of the last six matchups between Cleveland and Chicago.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson