Bulls vs. Nets: NBA odds, Picks and Predictions
Bulls vs. Nets Odds
| Bulls Odds | +1 |
| Nets Odds | -1 |
| Over/Under | 226 |
| Date | Thu, Feb. 9 |
| Time | 7:30 p.m. |
| TV | TNT |
On Thursday, the Chicago Bulls and the Brooklyn Nets will meet at the Barclays Center on TNT. Entering play, Chicago (26-28) owns the ninth-best record in the Eastern Conference. Brooklyn (32-22) holds the fifth-spot, but the departure of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving this week has hurt the outlook for this roster significantly. Nevertheless, oddsmakers are still expecting a Nets win tonight, pricing Brooklyn as 1-point home favorites on the spread.
Chicago Bulls
DeRozan listed as questionable
After missing Tuesday’s contest against Memphis, DeMar DeRozan is in danger of missing his second consecutive game on Thursday. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Bulls rank in the 61st percentile in offensive efficiency and the 73rd percentile in defensive efficiency when DeRozan is on the floor this season, compared to the 14th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 55th percentile in defensive efficiency when he is on the sidelines.
Chicago is 25-25 with DeRozan in the lineup this year, but only 1-3 in his absence.
Who will step up for Chicago?
According to CourtIQ, Zach LaVine (+3.4%) and Nikola Vucevic (+3.1%) both see a significant increase in usage when DeRozan is off of the floor. In these situations, LaVine is averaging 26.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per 36 minutes of action. Vucevic is averaging 23.7 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per 36 minutes with DeRozan on the bench.
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Brooklyn Nets
New Faces
Earlier this week, Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith were acquired in a deal that sent Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks. On the season, Dinwiddie is averaging 17.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. Finney-Smith has posted 9.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game in 40 games so far this year. Both players are expected to be in the starting lineup for this evening’s contest.
What to expect from Brooklyn
Neither Dinwiddie nor Finney-Smith are elite on the defensive end of the floor, though Dinwiddie does offer promise offensively. When Luka Doncic was off of the floor this season, Dinwiddie averaged 23.3 points and 8.3 assists per 36 minutes for the Mavericks as the team’s top scoring threat and primary facilitator. Ben Simmons could cause Dinwiddie’s assists to remain relatively low, but it would be surprising to see Dinwiddie’s scoring output fall below 20 points on a consistent basis.
Bulls vs. Nets – Picks & Predictions
In Brooklyn’s last three games, all with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant off of the floor, the Nets went 1-2, with both of their losses being competitive defeats against superior opponents – the Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns.
Tonight, the Nets will host a Chicago Bulls team that has struggled mightily on both ends of the floor this season with DeMar DeRozan out of the lineup. Assuming that DeRozan ends up in street clothes again on Thursday, Brooklyn has a great opportunity to get a win in this spot on their home floor.
PICK: Nets -1 (-110, FanDuel)
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