Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Vegas Play of the Day: Chicago Bulls at Boston Celtics

Hawks-Celtics Game 4

Curtis Compton / Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP

The Atlanta Hawks’ Dennis Schroder guards the Celtics’ Isaiah Thomas on Sunday, April 24, 2016, during the first half of Game 4 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series in Boston.

We’ve entered the third season of the annual South Point-lined Play of the Day competition, effective July 1.

Starting bankrolls have reset to $10,000, with the maximum bet being to win $1,000 and the minimum wager $300. Ray Brewer won the 2015-2016 season, after Taylor Bern prevailed in 2014-2015. Bern stepped away in the middle of the 2016-2017 season with a 16-12 record and $13,317 bankroll, with Mike Grimala taking his place.

Boston Celtics minus-7 vs. Chicago Bulls: $440 to win $400

Calm down about the Celtics. Sure, they ended the season in a little bit of a rut. And yes, they’ve now lost three out of five games against the Bulls this season.

They’re still a lot better than the Bulls, and they’re going to remind everyone tonight. Despite the trio of losses, Boston has outscored Chicago by 16 points in the teams’ five meetings this season.

That’s because the Celtics have the far better roster, but their advantage doesn’t end there. That advantage is not the reason they’re the play tonight.

Look to the sidelines for why it’s worthwhile to lay this number. Boston coach Brad Stevens will have adjustments for all his team’s problems in game 1 — a 53-36 rebounding deficit the biggest of all of them. Chicago coach Fred Hoiberg can’t match Stevens in that regard.

This series may drag out, because it’s hard to see Boston sweeping the games in Chicago. But the Celtics are going to arrive at the United Center with the tally tied at 1-1.

They’re too much better to even come close to falling behind 2-0.

Current Standings: Keefer (41-35-3, $8,307), Grimala (7-11, $8,233), Brewer (29-28-1, $7,985), Granger (13-18-1, $7,727)

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

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