3rd Quarter Report

The Celtics and the Bulls have shown up to the game, but their offenses sure haven’t. The Celtics have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead the Bulls 97-81.

The Celtics came into the match with some extra motivation after the loss they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We’ll see if they’re able to flip the script or if it’ll just be more of the same.

Who’s Playing

Boston Celtics @ Chicago Bulls

Current Records: Boston 21-6, Chicago 13-15

How To Watch

• When: Saturday, December 21, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET
• Where: United Center — Chicago, Illinois
• TV: Chicago Sport Network
• Follow: CBS Sports App
• Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
• Ticket Cost: $61.05

What to Know

The Bulls will be in front of their home fans on Saturday, but a look at the spread shows they might need that home-court advantage. They will take on the Boston Celtics in a holiday battle at 8:00 p.m. ET at at United Center. The Bulls are strutting in with some offensive muscle as they’ve averaged 118.8 points per game this season.

The Celtics are hoping to do what they couldn’t on Thursday: put an end to the Bulls’ winning streak, which now stands at three games. The Bulls came out on top against the Celtics by a score of 117-108.

Zach LaVine was the offensive standout of the match as he went 6 for 11 from beyond the arc en route to 36 points plus six rebounds. The Bulls are 6-3 when LaVine posts 20 or more points, but 7-12 otherwise.

Chicago’s win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 13-15. As for Boston, their defeat dropped their record down to 21-6.

Keep an eye on the arc in Saturday’s game: The Bulls have made nailing deep shots look easy this year this season, having averaged 16.6 threes per game. However, it’s not like the Celtics struggle in that department as they’ve been averaging 18.8. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.

Odds

Boston is a big 11.5-point favorite against Chicago, according to the latest NBA odds.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Celtics as a 11-point favorite.

The oddsmakers are expecting fireworks from the offense and set the over/under at a high 244.5 points.

See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

Boston has won 7 out of their last 10 games against Chicago.

• Dec 19, 2024 – Chicago 117 vs. Boston 108
• Nov 29, 2024 – Boston 138 vs. Chicago 129
• Mar 23, 2024 – Boston 124 vs. Chicago 113
• Feb 22, 2024 – Boston 129 vs. Chicago 112
• Nov 28, 2023 – Boston 124 vs. Chicago 97
• Jan 09, 2023 – Boston 107 vs. Chicago 99
• Nov 21, 2022 – Chicago 121 vs. Boston 107
• Nov 04, 2022 – Boston 123 vs. Chicago 119
• Oct 24, 2022 – Chicago 120 vs. Boston 102
• Apr 06, 2022 – Boston 117 vs. Chicago 94