NBA Playoff Odds: Celtics Home Favorites Vs. Bulls In Crucial Game 5
The Boston Celtics will look to claim their first series lead in their opening-round Eastern Conference playoff clash with Chicago when they host the Bulls in Game 5 on Wednesday night as eight-point betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Boston opened the series with two stunning losses on home court but followed up with decisive road wins in Games 3 and 4 to even the series at two games apiece going into the Bulls vs. Celtics betting matchup at TD Garden.
After finishing atop the Eastern Conference standings for the first time in nine years, the Celtics opened as heavy -500 favorites to get past the Bulls on the NBA series prices. Those odds quickly diminished following Boston?s 111-97 loss as 7 1/2-point home chalk in Game 2, sliding to a long +195, while Chicago moved to a heavy -235 favorite to complete the upset.
However, with star guard Isaiah Thomas in the lineup following a tough week for his family, the Celtics dominated in Chicago, claiming victory in Games 3 and 4 by an average margin of 13 points. That included a 104-95 win in Game 4 as 1 1/2-point road chalk, with Thomas tallying a team-high 33 points.
With the series knotted at 2, the Celtics have reclaimed the momentum on the NBA series prices, once again pegged as -500 chalk, while the Bulls have fallen back to +350.
The Bulls return to Boston after suffering consecutive straight-up defeats for the first time in 17 games overall and in their past 26 against the Celtics.
Chicago looked particularly strong entering the postseason, holding opponents to just 74 points per game while clinching a playoff spot with two SU wins to close the regular season. The Bulls’ offense also lit up the scoreboard down the stretch, topping 100 points in 12 of 14 games prior to Game 3.
But Chicago struggled to score early in two home losses in this series, being outscored by a 63-33 total margin during the first frame of Games 3 and 4, while barely cracking 40 percent from the field over those contests.
The Bulls have had little luck historically in the fifth game of playoff series tied at 2-2, going 1-4 SU in their past five, and ultimately being eliminated on four occasions.
Chicago consistently has failed to rebound in road games immediately following a home loss this season, going 1-9 SU, including a 100-80 loss in Boston as a 7 1/2-point underdog on the NBA point spreads on March 12.
Thumbnail photo via Mike DiNovo/USA TODAY Sports Images
