Bulls vs. Celtics NBA expert prediction and odds for NBA In-Season Tournament

The Boston Celtics need a win – and a big one – against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday to keep their NBA In-Season Tournament hopes alive. 

Boston is in the mix for the wild card spot in the East, but the team may have to outscore the New York Knicks (+18 point differential) by a wide margin to steal the final spot in the wild card. 

That’s going to make things tough, but Boston is favored by 13 points in this game despite the fact that Kristaps Porzingis (calf) has been ruled out. 

Can the Celtics beat up on a Bulls team that has underperformed in a big way this season? 

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Boston Celtics injury report

Chicago Bulls injury report

Boston Celtics

Jayson Tatum: All eyes will be on Tatum (and Jaylen Brown) as Boston tries to win big to reach the final eight in the NBA’s In-Season Tournament. Tatum is coming off a 34-point game against Atlanta on Sunday.

Sam Hauser: With Holiday and Porzingis banged up, Hauser may be called upon for a bigger role in the Boston offense. The sharpshooting forward is averaging 9.7 points per game this season while shooting 44.8 percent from 3. He has at least 10 points in eight of his last 10 games.  

Chicago Bulls

Coby White: White has been playing some great basketball as of late, scoring 20 or more points in three of his last four games. On the season, the former lottery pick is averaging 13.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 37.5 percent from 3. 

There is a massive incentive for Boston to win this game, and win big, given the In-Season Tournament implications. 

Already this season, Boston is an impressive 5-2 against the spread as a home favorite, while the struggling Bulls are 2-5 ATS as road underdogs. 

If either Caruso or LaVine misses this game for Chicago, it’s hard to see the team keeping up with a Boston offense that is No. 8 in the league. The Celtics are also No. 1 overall in net rating this season. 

Given the stakes, I’ll take Boston to pick up a cover since it knows that it needs a blowout win to advance. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.