Bulls vs. Cavaliers Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Tuesday, April 8

The Cleveland Cavaliers need a win–or a Boston Celtics loss–in the final week of the regular season to officially lock up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

After losing on Sunday to the Sacramento Kings, Evan and company will aim to bounce back at home against the Chicago Bulls, who are fighting for positioning in the play-in tournament.

Cleveland won’t have Donovan Mitchell (rest) in this matchup, yet it is still heavily favored at home. Coby White has been ruled out for the Bulls, while Josh Giddey is questionable.

Chicago is just one game back of the Atlanta Hawks (the No. 8 seed) and two games back of the Orlando Magic (the No. 7 seed) in the conference. On top of that, the Bulls have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA as of late, winning three in a row and seven of their last 10 games.

However, Cleveland has won all three meetings between these teams this season, and it’s favored at home to pull off the series sweep.

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, players to watch in the prop market and my prediction for this Eastern Conference clash – that could be a first-round playoff matchup later on this month.

Bulls vs. Cavaliers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

Bulls +12.5 (-112)
Cavs -12.5 (-108)

Moneyline

Bulls: +500
Cavs: -700

Total

240 (Over -110/Under -110)

Bulls vs. Cavaliers How to Watch

Date: Tuesday, April 8
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Rocket Arena
How to Watch (TV): FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, CHSN
Bulls record: 36-42
Cavs record: 62-16

Bulls vs. Cavaliers Injury Reports

Bulls Injury Report

Coby White – out
Josh Giddey – questionable
Tre Jones – out
Nikola Vucevic – questionable
Kevin Huerter – out
Lonzo Ball – out
Ayo Dosunmu – out

Cavs Injury Report

Emoni Bates – out
Nae’Qwan Tomlin – out
Donovan Mitchell – out
Luke Travers – out

Bulls vs. Cavaliers Best NBA Prop Bets

Chicago Bulls Best NBA Prop Bet

Josh Giddey OVER 17.5 Rebounds and Assists (-120)

Josh Giddey has been a stat-sheet stuffer all season long, averaging 8.0 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game, but he’s been even better as of late.

Giddey is averaging 10.4 rebounds and 9.2 assists per game since the All-Star break, clearing 17.5 rebounds and assists in six of his last eight games.

He is listed as questionable on Tuesday, but with Coby White ruled out, Giddey should have the ball in his hands even more if he’s able to play. This line is a steal for the Bulls guard against Cleveland.

Cleveland Cavaliers Best NBA Prop Bet

Darius Garland UNDER 22.5 Points (-110)

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why I’m fading Darius Garland on Tuesday:

Donovan Mitchell is out for the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday, but I’m still not buying Darius Garland as a scorer against the Chicago Bulls.

Chicago has been one of the worst defenses in the league this season, allowing the third-most points per game, but they’re 14th in defensive rating over their last 14 games – a major improvement.

Even though Garland is averaging 25.7 points per game without Mitchell this season, he’s been really struggling since the All-Star break, averaging 17.4 points per game over 21 games, clearing 22.5 points on just two occasions.

On top of that, Garland is shooting just 39.5 percent from the field and 32.2 percent from 3 over that stretch. This number is too high for my liking on Tuesday.

Bulls vs. Cavaliers Prediction and Pick

Even with White out and Giddey and Vucevic questionable, I’m going to take a shot on the Bulls to cover here with Donovan Mitchell sitting for the Cavs.

Cleveland is 7-0 without Mitchell this season, but only one of those wins (against the Charlotte Hornets) has come by more than 12 points. Only two of the wins without Mitchell have been by double digits.

Chicago enters this game with a 17-15 record against the spread as a road underdog, while the Cavs have seen their record as home favorites slip to 21-17-1 – a far cry from where it was early in the season.

With Garland struggling with his shot since the All-Star break, I’m not sold on the Cavs running this fast-paced Bulls offense out of the gym on Tuesday night. Chicago actually has a better net rating (+5.5) over its last 10 games than the Cavs (+3.3).

If Giddey plays, the Bulls should be able to at least cover the spread in this one.

Pick: Bulls +12.5 (-112 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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