The Chicago Bulls and Philadelphia 76ers will go head to head on 17th January at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
At least according to bookmakers, and the people who make NBA picks, the Philadelphia 76ers are clear favorites to win the game, which is unsurprising given that they are five places above the Chicago Bulls in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, with eleven more wins.
Past Face-Offs
While the Bulls have historically won more games against the 76ers over the last decade, the Philadelphia team has had more success in recent encounters. Despite this, the two sides are quite evenly matched, and the game will not be a walkover for either side.
This will make the game closely fought and more exciting. Fans looking to add even more to the excitement can make use of recent legislation changes to betting laws in the US, by placing wagers from their smartphones and computers.
Home Advantage?
The 76ers have a home team advantage. But this doesn’t seem to give too much concern to the Bulls who have beaten their Philadelphia rivals in their stadium 23 times in the last decade.
This season the 76ers have an 18-2 record in home games, while the Bulls have a 7-12 record while playing away, reinforcing the better odds that the home side is getting amongst bookmakers.
Night Game
With the game starting at 7:10 pm, the 76ers should also be feeling confident. They have won almost twice as many of their night games this year than they have lost. Meanwhile, the record is reversed for the Chicago Bulls who seem to flag as the evening goes on.
Injuries
Two Chicago Bulls players are currently sitting out indefinitely due to injury. Otto Porter Jr has been out of action since early November after breaking his left foot in a game against Atlanta. Wender Carter Jr is also out after spraining his ankle during training in September.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers are also down a player with Joel Embiid out indefinitely due to a torn ligament in his finger in early January.
These injuries shouldn’t be catastrophic for either side, but injured players are not ideal.
The game promises to be a close one, although the 76ers are the clear favorite still. History is against them, mainly based on their recent performances both away and at night. But this could all change on the night.
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