Chicago at Boston

There is urgency for Chicago, off a loss to mighty Houston, which knocked the Bulls out of the #8 seed in the East. Dwyane Wade returned from a thigh injury to score a 21 points. Jimmy Butler is averaging 24.2 points on 47.6 percent shooting on the road. He has averaged 25.3 points in helping the Bulls win two of three meetings with the Celtics this season. The Bulls are 19-7 ATS against a team with a winning percentage above .600. Chicago struggled on defense against the Rockets, but they are seventh in the NBA in field goal shooting defense while Boston is second at defending the three-pointer, plus #13 in field goal shooting defense overall. Chicago is 36-16 UNDER the total after a defeat, as well as 27-12-2 UNDER on the road. The Celtics are home after playing 12 of 15 away, off a 2-3 road trip, including a loss at Phoenix and an ugly 119-99 setback in Denver on Friday. Boston is on a 12-3-3 run UNDER the total and has failed to cover six of its last seven at home. The Bulls are 17-8-2 ATS in the last 27 meetings, and the wagering value is on the visitors to cover the game, along with a defensive first half. Play Chicago and First Half UNDER the total.