3* - Chicago Bulls (+5?)
The Bulls have now won four straight games and eight of their last nine and with a win over the Heat on Sunday, moved into a three way tie with Indiana and Milwaukee for 6th place in the East and trail the 5th place Wizards by just one game. They may have clinched a playoff berth but they would like nothing better than to move up to the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference, allowing them to play Cleveland in the 1st round rather than Detroit or Miami.
After going 9 for 9 from behind the arc in Friday?s game with Washington, Ben Gordon followed up that NBA record tying performance with 18 points in Sunday?s win over the Heat. While he is averaging 16.8 points on the season, in his last four games he is averaging 26.3 points per game.
While there is no question that Orlando has been playing very well lately, I believe that they have been playing well over their heads and the late season run, while fun to watch, failed to get them into the post season. Their season is over and that has to be a letdown. In three games between these teams this season, Chicago has come away with the win twice including the game played in Orlando and in the third game, the Magic won by only three points.
Considering how the Magic have been the league giant killers over the last three weeks, beating them in their last home game may be too much to ask of Chicago but I will take my chances with them as we certainly know that at least that is what they will try to do tonight. I see this line as being about three points off.
The Bulls have now won four straight games and eight of their last nine and with a win over the Heat on Sunday, moved into a three way tie with Indiana and Milwaukee for 6th place in the East and trail the 5th place Wizards by just one game. They may have clinched a playoff berth but they would like nothing better than to move up to the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference, allowing them to play Cleveland in the 1st round rather than Detroit or Miami.
After going 9 for 9 from behind the arc in Friday?s game with Washington, Ben Gordon followed up that NBA record tying performance with 18 points in Sunday?s win over the Heat. While he is averaging 16.8 points on the season, in his last four games he is averaging 26.3 points per game.
While there is no question that Orlando has been playing very well lately, I believe that they have been playing well over their heads and the late season run, while fun to watch, failed to get them into the post season. Their season is over and that has to be a letdown. In three games between these teams this season, Chicago has come away with the win twice including the game played in Orlando and in the third game, the Magic won by only three points.
Considering how the Magic have been the league giant killers over the last three weeks, beating them in their last home game may be too much to ask of Chicago but I will take my chances with them as we certainly know that at least that is what they will try to do tonight. I see this line as being about three points off.
