NBA Odds: Bulls (even)
The Charlotte Hornets visit the United Center to take on the Chicago Bulls. The game gets underway at 8:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 25 and will air on SPSO and CSN-CHI.
The Bulls were victorious over the Bucks 87-71 on Monday. Tony Snell was the game’s high scorer with 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting. The Hornets, meanwhile, are coming off a 92-81 loss at the hands of the Mavericks on Sunday. Marvin Williams accumulated 15 points, three rebounds, and two assists.
The defense for Chicago should have a clear edge in terms of effective field goal percentage. They rank fourth in the league in forcing misses (opponents’ effective field goal percentage of 47.6%), while the offense of Charlotte is 30th with a mark of 45.5%. The Hornets should also expect to protect the ball well. They rank first at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 11.4%). Conversely, the Bulls force the second-fewest turnovers in the league (opponents’ turnover percentage of 12.3%).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Bulls won the first game 102-95. Kemba Walker scored a game-high 23 points.
The odds are even for this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable at the moment. The Bulls enter the game with records of 36-21 Straight Up (SU) and 26-31 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 21-12 SU and 15-18 ATS versus the Eastern Conference. The Bulls are an impressive shooting team from the line with a .787 free throw percentage, one of the highest marks in the NBA. Chicago has an edge in the rebounding department for this game, where they rack up an average of 45.8 rebounds per game. Turning to the defensive side, the Bulls have limited opponents’ efforts from beyond the arc, allowing 6.1 three-pointers made per game. An area where the Bulls are particularly strong is shot blocking, where they average an NBA-best 6.3 blocks per game.
On the other side, the Hornets head into the game with records of 25-27-2 ATS and 22-32 SU. Charlotte has a record of 16-15 SU and 15-14-2 ATS against the East. The Hornets rarely make the wrong play with the ball. They have the fifth-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the league at 1.9.
Chicago beat Charlotte in their most recent meeting this season, moving its SU record against the Hornets to 8-2 in their last 10 head-to-head meetings. The Bulls also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4. Chicago topped the Hornets in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) six times over the last 10. Charlotte has never had the edge in all categories.
Predictions: SU Winner – CHI, ATS Winner – CHI
Notes
Charlotte ranks 27th in points per game with 94.2, while Chicago ranks 12th in points allowed with an average of 98.7 given up.
Charlotte puts up an average of 93.6 points per away game (ranked 27th), while Chicago gives up 100.1 points per home game (ranked 20th).
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Hornets are 18-11 on the season. When the Bulls score fewer than 100, they are a losing 9-14.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Hornets are just 4-21 this season. Chicago is a superb 27-7 when registering triple digits.
The Hornets have an offensive rating of 97.4 (ranked 29th), while the Bulls rank 12th for their defensive rating of 101.7.
Chicago has an average field goal percentage of 44.3%. Charlotte is a subpar 6-20 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
On average, Chicago attempts 21.5 three pointers and Charlotte attempts 18.6 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Bulls have a 7-10 record while the Hornets have a losing 1-2 record.
The Chicago Bulls rank 16th with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.61. The Charlotte Hornets have a higher A/TO (1.85), ranking fifth.
Chicago ranks near the top of the NBA for rebounds at second (45.8 per game), while Charlotte ranks 11th with 43.9 per game.
Chicago is ranked seventh in defensive rebounds, while Charlotte ranks 23rd in offensive rebounds.
The Charlotte Hornets’ opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 12.7% this season. The Chicago Bulls have a winning 21-13 record when their TOV% is 12.7% or higher.
