NBA Betting Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Chicago Bulls Odds, Analysis

The Cleveland Cavaliers (56-23) are just one win away from earning the top seed in the Eastern Conference as they visit the Chicago Bulls (39-40) on Saturday.

The Cavaliers did not need home-court advantage last season when they made it to the NBA Finals as the No. 2 seed in the East, but they would like to have every edge they can get this year.

Meanwhile, the Bulls will be eliminated from postseason contention with one loss or a win by the Indiana Pacers in their last three games. The Toronto Raptors kept them alive Friday by beating the Pacers and also stayed within reach of the Cavs as the current No. 2 seed.

Cleveland lost 123-109 at Indiana as a 3.5-point road underdog Wednesday playing without LeBron James, breaking a four-game winning streak.

According to Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com (h/t Rotoworld), James will reportedly play at the United Center, along with the rest of the team’s starters; his status has a big effect on the NBA betting line for the matchup at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark.

The Cavs have lost two of the first three meetings with Chicago both straight up and against the spread, according to the Odds Shark NBA Database. However, the Bulls are in a much different position now than they were in any of the previous meetings, sitting three games behind the Pacers in ninth place.

Bettors may assume Chicago will be playing in desperation mode here, but that may not be the case anymore since the team has already had opportunities to come through recently and failed.

A brief two-game winning streak for the Bulls—with each victory coming on the road against the Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets—has been followed by three losses in their last four. The under has cashed in their previous nine for totals bettors.

Cleveland has not fared well without James in the lineup, as the team’s last two losses have both occurred with him resting on the bench. But the Cavs have won five in a row SU and ATS with James, who will likely treat this like a playoff game knowing they can all breathe a sigh of relief and get ready for the postseason with a victory.