The Brooklyn Nets (37-42) will be at home when they play the Chicago Bulls (48-32). Action begins at 7:30 pm ET on Monday, Apr. 13 and can be seen on CSN-CHI and YES.
The Nets played well in their last game, dismantling the Wizards 117-80 on Friday. Brook Lopez was the game’s leading scorer with 26 points on 12-for-22 shooting. The Bulls, meanwhile, are coming off a 114-107 win against the 76ers on Saturday. Derrick Rose played well for Chicago, accounting for 22 points, eight assists, and six rebounds.
Deron Williams and Lopez have been better than usual over the last five games for the Nets. During that stretch, Williams has averaged 16.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 9.6 assists, and 2.8 three-pointers, while Lopez has recorded 25.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.2 blocks a game.
The Bulls lead the season series against the Nets two games to one, but fell short in their most recent game, 96-82. Lopez was the game’s top overall scorer with 29 points.
The odds for Brooklyn and Chicago are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable as of now. The Nets have gone 37-42 Straight Up (SU) and 38-39-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 23-26 SU and 22-26-1 ATS against the Eastern Conference. The Nets have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 106.2 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 98.5 points per game.
As for their opponent, the Bulls have a record of 37-43 ATS and 48-32 SU. Against the Eastern Conference, Chicago is 31-19 SU and 24-26 ATS. The Bulls convert their free throws at a high percentage, ranking third in the league at .782. The Bulls have controlled the glass with an average of 45.7 rebounds per game, third in the league. The Bulls are a problem for teams on the defensive side, allowing only 6.6 field goals from three-point range per game.
In their previous meeting this season, Brooklyn beat Chicago, but the win was not enough for them to overtake Chicago in the recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 4-6 SU over the most recent 10 meetings. With a 6-4 record, the Bulls also have the advantage ATS. Over the last 10 matchups, Chicago held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers twice. Brooklyn performed this feat one time.
Predictions: SU Winner – CHI, ATS Winner – CHI
Notes
Chicago ranks 15th in points per game with 100.8, while Brooklyn ranks 19th in points allowed with an average of 101.0 given up.
Chicago puts up an average of 99.3 points per away game (ranked 13th). Brooklyn ranks 23rd in points allowed per home game with 101.4.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Nets are 26-15 on the season. When the Bulls score fewer than 100, they are a losing 14-22.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Nets are just 11-27 this season. Chicago is an exceptional 34-10 when it hits the century mark.
The Nets have an offensive rating of 102.2 (ranked 16th). The Bulls rank 11th for their defensive rating of 101.7.
With 96.3 possessions and 1.022 points per possession, the Brooklyn Nets perform worse on both metrics than the Chicago Bulls. Chicago averages 96.4 possessions and 1.045 points per possession.
Brooklyn has an average effective field goal percentage of 49.3%. Chicago is a subpar 10-19 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Brooklyn makes an average of 21.0 assists per game (ranked 20th). Chicago ranks higher in assists with 21.8 (ranked 13th).
Brooklyn makes an average of 4.1 blocks per game (ranked 25th). Chicago ranks higher in blocks with 5.7 (ranked fifth).
Brooklyn is ranked 24th when it comes to offensive rebounding. Chicago ranks seventh in defensive rebounds.
The Chicago Bulls average 6.2 steals per game. When giving up 6 or more steals, the Brooklyn Nets have a losing record (22-38) this season.
