Celtics vs Bulls Picks, Predictions & Odds 3-23-2024 - NBA

As the Chicago Bulls charge towards the NBA Play-In Tournament, they must deal with the best team in the league as the Boston Celtics come to town. The NBA odds have the Celtics as 6.5-point favorites, but that could change depending on who takes the court.

Heading into the matchup on Saturday night, it’s unclear if the Celtics will have Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, and Al Horford available — all three missed Friday’s game against the Detroit Pistons. Potentially down their best player, their starting point guard, and their sixth man, injuries open the door for an ascending Bull. 

Find out where my best bets lie in our NBA picks and predictions for Celtics vs. Bulls on Saturday, March 23.

Celtics vs Bulls odds

Celtics vs Bulls predictions

Few teams have been as ravaged by injuries this season as the Chicago Bulls.  The team has been without starting point guard Lonzo Ball for over a year, All-Star Zach Lavine has been out for the season since January, and former fourth overall pick Patrick Williams is also done for the season.

Despite being down three starters, the Bulls have managed to keep their playoff hopes alive and maintain their position in the NBA Play-In Tournament. Chicago is all but guaranteed a chance to make the playoff dance with their six-Game lead over the No. 11 seed in the East.

There have been multiple factors that have helped keep the dream alive in the Windy City. Chief among them has been the play of DeMar DeRozan, followed by the emergence of Coby White. However, the Bulls have gotten another boost as of late from hometown hero Ayo Dosunmu.

The third-year guard has taken another step in his development and has the opportunity to continue his strong play against a Boston Celtics team that may be without several key players. While it’s going to be hard for Chicago to cover, let alone win, against the visiting Celtics, Dosunmu is in position to stuff the stat sheet.

The Celtics rank sixth in the NBA in points allowed per game (109.4) and second in defensive rating (111.3), but with Dosunmu being less of a known commodity, his points and assists line against Boston is just 19.5. His increased workload should allow him the touches to hit the Over on that number, even if the Bulls struggle against the C’s on Saturday night.

On the season, the Celtics are allowing 20.77 points per game and 4.48 assists per game to shooting guards, not big numbers by any stretch, but enough for Dosunmu to hit his Over — especially with the minutes increase he’s seen lately. 

This season, the former second-round pick is averaging 28.3 minutes per game, but has only played fewer than 30 minutes in five of his last 27 games. Billy Donovan has asked even more of him over the last two months, with Dosunmu playing at least 35 minutes in 18 games since Jan. 30.

It’s paying off noticeably, too. Dosunmu has turned in four performances of at least 20 points in his last five Games and has gone for at least 20 points and assists in 12 of his last 18. The 24-year-old is averaging just 11.8 points and 3.1 assists on the season, however, those averages jump up to 17.1 points and 4.8 assists over his last 29 Games.

Clearly Donovan has noticed growth in Dosunmu’s game and is rewarding him with more playing time, and it’s paying off for Chi-Town. Earlier this week, Donovan commented on this consistency he’s seen from the young Illinois product after a 23-point performance against the Trail Blazers.

“He’s trying to pride himself on being a guy that can be consistent night in and night out,” said Donovan. “It’s not always going to be in scoring. I thought he responded really well. He didn’t have the scoring output he had the other night, but he played a really sound game all the way through.”

For as good as Dosunmu’s been since January, he’s been even better lately. He’s averaging 30.6 points and seven assists over his last three games while playing 39.3 minutes. So, while Boston has one of the best defenses in the NBA, the young Bulls playmaker should still see the usage to add to his impressive stretch of games.

My best bet: Ayo Dosunmu Over 19.5 points and assists (-115 at bet365)

Celtics vs Bulls same-game parlay

Without it being clear who Boston will have available, the only props being offered are for Bulls players. That’s just fine with DeMar DeRozan in for a tough matchup and Nikola Vucevic poised to pick up the slack.

No team in the NBA has been better against power forwards than the C’s, who allow the least amount of points per game to them in the league (20.35). That doesn’t bode well for DeRozan  ¬ playing out of position due to all Chicago’s injuries — who was ejected from his last game and has failed to reach 23 points in three of his last four.

Vucevic on the other hand can have himself a big night, especially if Al Horford doesn’t play. Boston is allowing 22.67 points per game to centers this season and Vucevic is averaging 21.5 over his last four. 

Learn how to bet a same-Game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Celtics vs Bulls spread and Over/Under analysis

No team in the NBA has been better than the Boston Celtics this season, and as a result, they were favored by as many as 8.5 points against the Chicago Bulls. The line has since come down to Boston -6.5 at most books with uncertainty around who the Celtics will have playing.

Regardless, the C’s have been among the best ATS teams in the NBA this season at 37-30-3 and have covered in seven of their last eight games. The Bulls are a respectable 35-34-1 ATS this season but have covered just twice in their last seven games — Chicago didn’t cover in either game as an underdog against the Celtics earlier this season.

The total hasn’t seen much movement after opening at 221.5. At some books it’s come up to 222, but the uncertainty around who Boston will deploy seems to have had no impact on it. While the Celtics are 34-36 betting the Over this season, Chicago is the best Over team in the NBA at 39-30-1.

The Bulls have hit the Over in five straight and seven of their last nine. In both matchups with the Celtics this season, the Game total has hit the Over.

Celtics vs Bulls betting trend to know

The Chicago Bulls have hit the Team Total Over in 23 of their last 33 games (+11.20 Units / 29% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Celtics vs. Bulls.

Celtics vs Bulls game info

Celtics vs Bulls latest injuries

Stay updated with the latest picks, odds, and news! Tap the to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.