8:05 pm
March 11

76ers @ Bulls

Who will WIN this matchup?

Philadelphia 76ers (24-12)

@ Chicago Bulls (16-18)

 

Current odds:

Philadelphia 76ers: (+140)

Chicago Bulls: (-160)

 

• The line for this game is Bulls by 3.5 points.

• The Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia 76ers already faced a crunch to begin the second half of the NBA season, including the first of nine sets of back-to-backs down the stretch. Now Philadelphia must navigate Thursday’s visit to the Chicago Bulls without All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, who remain out due to issues related to COVID-19 contact tracing.

• Embiid, who is averaging 30.2 points while bolstering his league MVP candidacy, can return when the 76ers visit Washington on Friday. Simmons, however, will miss the Wizards game, too. Philadelphia is 1-5 without Embiid and 2-3 with Simmons out of the lineup.

• With five straight victories against the Bulls, including a 112-105 home win on Feb. 19, the 76ers aren’t necessarily aiming to better themselves in an all-time series Philadelphia leads 125-106. Still, the loss of Embiid presents a significant gap in this particular matchup, as Embiid notched a career-high 50 points to go with 17 rebounds, five assists, four blocks and two steals in the first meeting against Chicago.

• Zach LaVine paced the Bulls with 30 points in a game that helped clear a path to his first career All-Star appearance. Chicago’s leading scorer missed the chance to share the experience with Embiid and Simmons, who were unable to appear at the festivities in Atlanta after being exposed to a barber who tested positive for COVID-19.

• The Bulls won six of nine entering the All-Star break to improve their standing in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt. Chicago is tied with the eighth-place Toronto Raptors at seven games behind Philadelphia, but the Raptors are ahead by percentage points.

• Chicago’s chase resumes Thursday, as the meeting with the Sixers tips off a five-game, seven-day homestand. The first three contests in that span are against teams ahead of the Bulls in the standings.

5/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Chicago Bulls
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