The Chicago Bulls (14-26) go head-to-head with the Houston Rockets (27-11) at United Center. The game will air on ATTSN Southwest at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, January 8, 2018.
Houston opened as a 5-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 221 points.
Houston Rockets vs. Chicago Bulls Free Prediction
The Rockets are hoping for a better outcome after their 108-101 loss to the Detroit Pistons in their last outing. Getting to the charity stripe was one of Detroit’s largest strengths. They made 27 trips to the line, while Houston went just 11 times. Chris Paul led Houston in scoring with 16 points on 5-for-10 shooting.
In the Bulls’ last matchup, they were blown out by the Indiana Pacers, 125-86. Indiana’s offensive rebounding percentage was their biggest strength over Chicago. The Pacers had a rate of 27.8 (above their season average of 21.9), while the Bulls posted a mark of 18.8 (below the 24.3 mark opponents have averaged against Indiana this season). Bobby Portis had a solid performance for Chicago, leading the team in scoring with 15 points on 4-for-7 shooting.
Second-chance opportunities could be rare for Chicago in this showdown. The Bulls currently rank 24th in offensive rebounding percentage (20.2 percent), while Houston ranks third in defensive rebounding percentage (80.7 percent). Also, the Rockets’ second-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 113.2) will clash against the Bulls’ 23rd-ranked defense (defensive efficiency of 108.3).
Houston has a phenomenal 27-11 straight up (SU) record, but they are just 17-20-1 against the spread (ATS). Of the Rockets’ 38 games, 19 have finished over the total.
Chicago is 22-15-3 ATS, despite being 14-26 SU. Games including the Bulls tend to finish over the total (55.0 percent).
After the Rockets won both matchups against the Bulls last season, these teams will clash for the first time this year. In the most recent game, Houston won 115-94. The Rockets made 26 of their 32 free throws (81.3 percent) and had a better effective field goal percentage (0.500 vs. 0.434).
Houston Rockets vs. Chicago Bulls Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Rockets, ATS Winner – Bulls, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Houston is 10-8 ATS on the road with 11 unders, 6 overs and 1 push.
Chicago is 10-7-2 ATS at home with 11 unders and 8 overs.
Houston is 12-2 when they hold opponents below 100 points, while Chicago is 5-5.
In games where they score more than 100 points, the Rockets are 27-8 and the Bulls are 12-10.
Houston ranks third in points off turnovers per game (18.5) while Chicago ranks 28th (13.9).
The Rockets average 43.3 three pointers per game, which ranks first in the league. The Bulls rank 23rd in three pointers allowed per game (30.3).
Houston ranks fifth in rebounds allowed per game (41.3) while Chicago ranks 27th (45.4).
The Rockets rank fourth in steals per game (8.9) while the Bulls rank 24th (6.9).
Houston ranks 11th in assists allowed per game (22.3) while Chicago ranks 26th (24.6).
The Rockets rank 17th in blocks per game (4.7) while the Bulls rank 29th (3.6).
Houston ranks 21st in points in the paint per game (42.1) while Chicago ranks 27th (40.4).
The Rockets average 10.8 fast break points per game, which ranks 14th in the league. The Bulls rank 17th in fast break points allowed per game (11.2).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Houston is 1-4 ATS with 2 overs, 2 unders and 1 push.
Chicago is 2-3 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under over their last five games.
The Rockets have been outscored by an average of 2.2 points in their last five games. For the season, Houston has defeated opponents by an average of 7.7 points.
During their last five games, the Bulls have scored an average of 111.6 points per game (9.9 above their season average) and allowed an average of 122.2 points per game (14.3 above their season average).
