The Bulls are desperate to end the five-game losing streak, while the Suns are hoping to avoid their fourth defeat in a row. With plenty of picks and markets to choose from, don’t waste your time and join the action at Get More Sports.
Phoenix Suns at Chicago Bulls
Spread: Chicago Bulls -2.5 (-110) at BetDSI Sportsbook
Total: Over/Under 214.5 points (-110)
The Suns are looking for the first win in four matches
The Phoenix Suns are visiting Chicago with the hopes of snapping the three-game losing run in a matchup against the weakest team in the NBA at the moment. It is the second consecutive game on the road for Jay Triano’s side after they suffered a 108:119 defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday. Phoenix is currently in the 13th position in the Western Conference with the 7-14 record, and considering the depth of their roster and situation in the backroom, this record doesn’t seem bad at all.
The Suns were solid from the field (50.6%) and hit 13 triples on 26 attempts (50%), but the Wolves dominated the boards (48-37) and steals (12-6), which affected the final outcome. Usually, the teams with 50% or more from the floor are the winning ones, but Minnesota had even better shooting night, and the Suns couldn’t stop the hosts. Mike James led Phoenix with a career-high 26 points (10-20 FG, 3-5 3PT, 3-4 FT), game-high seven assists, and five boards, while T.J. Warren added 18 points and four rebounds in 38 minutes. Troy Daniels contributed with 13 points, Tyson Chandler returned to the starting lineup and scored 12 points with seven boards, while the rest of the squad ended the tilt in single digits. Greg Monroe moved back to the bench and scored eight points along with five rebounds, while Josh Jackson had a disappointing game as he hit only two shots on ten attempts, and I think both of them will bounce back on this one and play more prominent role in the offense. The best player of this team, Devin Booker, missed the clash due to a slight toe injury, but he should be fine to feature on Tuesday and is a player to watch in a matchup with Justin Holiday.
Besides Alan Williams and Brandon Knight who are out for the season, Jay Triano doesn’t have any injury-related issues as the players are healthy and ready to go. Devin Booker is the only questionable player for this encounter, but he is hopeful to take the court as his setback doesn’t look serious. In case he is unable to perform, Josh Jackson will serve as the starting shooting guard, and Troy Daniels will see increased minutes on the floor. The Suns are scoring 107.50 points per contest on average (13th in the NBA), while they are allowing 115.90 points in return (30th in the NBA). Phoenix is among the best five teams in the league (5th) when it comes to rebounding (46.62), and they are also the fifth in that segment on the road, and now with Chandler and Monroe below the rims, they could dominate the boards on Tuesday.
Place: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Date/Time: Tuesday, November 28th, 2017, 8 PM ET
TV Coverage: WGN-TV, FOX SPORTS ARIZONA
The Bulls are hoping to get the second win in 11 matches
The Chicago Bulls are on a negative run of five consecutive defeats, and they won just once in the previous ten games, and are desperate for a much-needed victory to help them escape the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The latest 93:100 home loss to the Miami Heat left them in the last place in the East with the 3-15 record, a win fewer than the Atlanta Hawks, and Fred Hoiberg’s side could surpass Atlanta with a potential victory here.
The Bulls lost to Miami despite limiting the Heat to miserable seven points in the opening quarter which is the franchise low for Miami, but Chicago couldn’t get a win due to a poor 37.1% from the field. Although they hit 14 threes on 33 attempts (42.4%) and were equal in other segments, Chicago lost primarily because of bad field goal percentage and even a strong defense could not help them. Jerian Grant led the Bulls with a season-high 24 points, while Justin Holiday added 15 with a pair of steals. Denzel Valentine had a game of his career recording the first double-double of the campaign with 14 points and career-high 13 boards, along with career-high seven assists, while Bobby Portis chipped in with 11 points, four rebounds, and four dishes. Lauri Markkanen posted his sixth double-double of the season with 11 points and ten boards, while Robin Lopez ended the tilt with ten points and seven rebounds. Kris Dunn had a disappointing night as he finished with the season-low two points after missing all six of his shots from the field, but managed to record a game-high three steals. I expect him to display a much better performance against Tyler Ulis on Tuesday, and alongside Holiday and Markkanen, he is the man to watch for the hosts.
Fred Hoiberg is still without Zach LaVine who is recovering from a knee injury and should be back in the mid-December, while Nikola Mirotic (face) is out for this clash, but will travel with the squad to Denver to face the Nuggets on Thursday. He is demanding the franchise to choose between him and Portis after last summer’s altercation, but in any case, he is forced to remain a Bull until January, at least. David Nwaba missed the tenth game in a row due to an ankle injury but he is close to returning to the floor, and we could see him later this week. The Bulls are scoring 94.39 points per contest on average (29th in the NBA), while they are allowing 106.89 points in return (20th in the NBA). Chicago is among the top five teams in the league when it comes to rebounding at home, as they are averaging 48.57 per game, which is good enough for the third place in the NBA.
Phoenix Suns at Chicago Bulls Trends & Prediction
The Suns are 8-12-1 against the spread (4-3-1 away), while they are 13-8 on over/under (6-2 away), and considering that they scored 100+ points in six out of eight away matches, this one could go OVER despite Chicago’s weak offense.
The Bulls are 8-10 against the spread (4-3 home), while they are 7-11 on over/under (1-6 home), and Chicago scored 100+ points in just one home game this season, but I think they will do it here against the weakest offense in the league so that I would suggest OVER. Also, it is the right time for the Bulls to snap the negative streak, so I am backing the hosts to get a win here.
My Pick: Chicago Bulls -2.5 (-110)
Total: Over 214.5 points (-110)
