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Bulls try to send Cavs to 2nd straight loss Friday
By: Brian Graham - StatFox
Published: 10/31/2014  at  4:26:00 AM
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CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (0-1)

at CHICAGO BULLS (1-0)

Tip-off: Friday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Line: Chicago -4, Total: 193.5

After a stunning loss on Thursday night, the Cavaliers try to bounce back on Friday when they visit the Bulls.

Cleveland's first game with a revamped lineup of prized additions SF LeBron James and C Kevin Love had the team favored by 13 points over the Knicks on Thursday, but it turned the ball over 19 times in a 95-90 defeat. Chicago also faced New York in its first game of the season and shot 51% from the floor and rolled to a 104-80 blowout at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. The Bulls are a dominant 13-2 SU in the past 15 games of this series, which includes a 3-1 edge (SU and ATS) last season with wins by 15 and 16 points in the two home matchups. Last season, the Cavs were a subpar road team at 14-27 SU (17-24 ATS), while Chicago went 27-17 SU (21-23 ATS) at United Center. The Bulls have been a horrible home favorite in the previous two seasons with a 26-44 ATS mark (37%), but they have been outstanding on Friday nights under head coach Tom Thibodeau, going 37-19 ATS (66%). The only significant injury for either team is Chicago SG Jimmy Butler, who will be a game-time decision because of a sprained thumb.

Can the Cavaliers avoid an 0-2 hole to start the season? For the answer, connect to The Platinum Sheet for all the Expert picks throughout the entire 2014-15 season. StatFox Zach posted a 54% ATS mark (65-56-4) in NBA Best Bets last season, while StatFox Forecaster had a 53.4% ATS (207-181-12) in featured games last season. The experts are off to a flying start this season with a combined 67% ATS mark (8-4) over the past two nights, including a perfect 7-0 ATS record on Wednesday night.

The Cavaliers weren't horrible on offense in Thursday's loss, scoring 90 points on 46% FG and 38% threes, but they had nearly as many turnovers (19) as assists (22). Defensively, Cleveland allowed New York to make 54% FG and 6-of-12 threes, and recorded just five steals and two blocks. SF LeBron James had a horrible season opener with 17 points on 5-of-15 FG including 1-of-5 threes. Although he had five rebounds and four assists, he also committed a game-high eight turnovers and posted a game-worst rating of minus-13. James has averaged 28.4 PPG on 48% FG in his career versus the Bulls, but struggled against them last season with only 18.3 PPG on 39% FG over three meetings. The other big newcomer for the Cavs this offseason was C Kevin Love who posted a double-double (19 points, 14 rebounds) with four assists, but made only 6-of-14 shots and posted a minus-4 rating. He'll have a tough assignment on both ends of the floor with the athletic Joakim Noah. PG Kyrie Irving was the team's leading scorer on Thursday with 22 points on 8-of-15 FG, but made only 1-of-6 threes. However, the fourth-year pro still filled up the stat sheet with seven assists, five rebounds and two steals while committing four turnovers. It will be interesting to see if he can keep Derrick Rose out of the lane, and Irving has averaged only 16.9 PPG in seven career meetings with Chicago. Curiously Irving has shot much better from three-point range (48%) than from inside the arc (34%) when facing the Bulls.

Chicago's offense was pretty efficient in Wednesday's season opener, scoring 104 points on 51% FG and 83% FT (25-of-30) with 21 assists. PF Taj Gibson was the star off the bench with 22 points (10-of-12 FG), eight rebounds and a game-high +28 rating in his 28 minutes of action. Starting PF Pau Gasol also shined in his Bulls debut with 21 points (7-of-11 FG), 11 boards and a +15 rating. Both players create serious matchup problems for the Cavaliers, and Gasol has always given them fits with 21.3 PPG (58% FG), 9.8 RPG, 2.9 APG and 1.3 BPG over 18 career meetings. It will be interesting to see how long PG Derrick Rose can go after logging just 21 minutes in Wednesday's blowout. Although his outside shot wasn't working (0-for-3 threes), Rose made 3-of-4 FG inside the arc and got to the foul line eight times. Rose has faced the Cavs just twice in the previous three seasons, but did a great job running the offense in those meetings with a combined 35 points, 16 assists and only two turnovers. Chicago would like to see more offense from C Joakim Noah who opened his season with a mere three points (1-of-4 FG), but he also pulled down six boards and blocked three shots despite a meager 20 minutes of action. Noah averaged only 8.5 PPG (39% FG) in four meetings with the Cavs last season, but still contributed 12.5 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.8 SPG and 1.0 BPG in those four matchups.


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