2024 NBA picks, January 15 predictions from proven model
We’ve got another exciting Central Division matchup on the NBA schedule as the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls are set to tip at 7 p.m. ET on Monday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse as part of the NBA on Martin Luther King Jr. Day schedule. Cleveland is 22-15 overall and 13-8 at home, while Chicago is 19-22 overall and 6-12 on the road. The Cavs have won the last five head-to-head matchups over the Bulls and has also gone 4-0-1 against the spread in those games.
However, both teams have been average against the number this season, with Chicago going 20-20-1 against the spread and the Cavaliers going 18-18-1. For Monday’s matchup, Cleveland is favored by 4 points in the latest Bulls vs. Cavaliers odds via SportsLine consensus and the over/under is 220.5 points. Before entering any Cavaliers vs. Bulls picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 13 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 42-23 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Chicago-Cleveland. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:
Cavaliers vs. Bulls spread: Cavaliers -4
Cavaliers vs. Bulls over/under: 220.5 points
Cavaliers vs. Bulls money line: Cavaliers -169, Bulls +142
Cavaliers vs. Bulls picks: See picks here
What you need to know about the Cavaliers
The Cavaliers extended their winning streak to four games against the Nets their last time out. Cleveland came out on top against Brooklyn by a score of 111-102 on Thursday. Among those leading the charge was Donovan Mitchell, who dropped a double-double on a season-high 45 points and 12 rebounds.
The four-time NBA all-star missed Cleveland’s Dec. 23 matchup against Chicago, which the Cavaliers won by 14 points despite being 6.5-point underdogs on the road. Jarrett Allen had 19 points, 17 rebounds and seven assists in that victory and his presence in the post will loom large against a Bulls squad that struggles to protect the rim.
What you need to know about the Bulls
Meanwhile, even if it wasn’t a dominant performance, Chicago beat San Antonio 122-116 on Saturday. The Bulls’ win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Nikola Vucevic, who dropped a double-double on 24 points and 16 rebounds.
Ayo Dosunmu also had 21 points off the bench in the victory while DeMar DeRozan scored 20 points. Chicago shot 51.1% from the floor and went 15-for-34 from the 3-point line (44.1%). The Bulls are averaging 17.3 made 3-pointers and shooting 43.0% from beyond the arc over their last three games.
Key Betting Info
The Cavaliers will be relying on another big game from Mitchell to pull off a victory with Darius Garland (jaw) and Evan Mobley (knee) out for significant stretches. For the season, Mitchell has averaged 27.9 points, 5.7 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game.
Some of the betting trends to consider are:
The Bulls are 6-3 against the spread in their last 9 games when the spread was between +2 to +5.
The Bulls are 7-10-1 against the spread in their last 18 games when on the road.
The Cavaliers are 6-6 against the spread in their last 12 games when the spread was between -5 to -2.
How to make Cavaliers vs. Bulls picks
The model has simulated Cavaliers vs. Bulls 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that hits well over 60% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.