2011 NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs – Indiana Pacers vs Chicago Bulls Series Odds, Predictions, Free Picks and Preview: The top-seeded Chicago Bulls will meet the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 2011 NBA playoffs, and the two teams couldn’t have taken more different paths to the postseason. Chicago cruised to the best record in the East, while the Pacers backed into the No. 8 seed with a sub-.500 record. On paper, this matchup appears to be pretty one-sided, and Chicago leads the season series 3-1. Chicago has been installed as a -3400 favorite(odds at SBG Global Sportsbook) to win the series.
Led by soon-to-be MVP Derrick Rose, the Bulls are absolutely loaded on both ends of the court and have plenty of depth. Big men Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah are the main reason the Chicago defense has jumped into the top-10 in the league this year, and Luol Deng is a legitimate 20-point scorer from the wing. The Bulls have size, speed and scoring off the bench as well, allowing them to wear opponents down on the defensive end. Ronnie Brewer is one of those bench options, and he has become one of the more underrated defenders in the league. He has quietly been shutting down the top scorers for Chicago’s opponents throughout the year.
Meanwhile, the Pacers are team with an identity crisis. Center Roy Hibbert was supposed to be the focal point of a motion offense, but that plan changed midseason into an offensive attack led by point guard Darren Collison. Along the way, everyone from Tyler Hansbrough, Paul George and Josh McRobberts have taken turns in the starting lineup. Given all the lineup shuffling, it is no surprise that the Pacers struggled to find any sort of consistency in 2011.
The X-factor in this series is Rose. He can score 40 points a game himself, or he can dish out 15 assists. His teammates have bought into Rose as well. Every player on the court is willing to score if Rose is passing the ball, but they are just as willing to rebound and defend when Rose is feeling it on the offensive end.
Indiana does have an edge in 3-point shooting. When Danny Granger and company are knocking shots down from the outside, the Pacers can put up a ton of points. The Bulls are actually one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league with the exception of Kyle Korver. If Indiana is able to get hit from beyond the arc, they could steal a game or two.
In their lone win against the Bulls during the regular season, Indiana put up 115 points. The problem is that they were held under 90 in their three losses. There is a reason Chicago was more than 20 games better than the Pacers this season. The Bulls might not be able to pull off the sweep, but they should have a relatively easy time getting to the next round. Check the opening NBA odds for Pacers-Bulls Game 1 below.
Prediction: Chicago Bulls Win in 5 Games
NBA Playoffs Series Odds
Chicago Bulls vs Indiana Pacers
Chicago Bulls -3400
Indiana Pacers +2200
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