As the NBA regular season winds down, we continue our daily prediction and picks with this upcoming cross-conference showdown. The Chicago Bulls (29-45) visit the San Antonio Spurs (56-18) in their second and final meeting, San Antonio looking to sweep. Check our NBA odds series for the Bulls-Spurs prediction and pick.
The Chicago Bulls are 12th in the Eastern Conference and have been officially ruled-out of playoff contention. Dropping their most recent outing 125-124 to the Memphis Grizzlies for a third-straight loss, they'll hope to overcome unlikely odds in beating the Spurs on the road.
The San Antonio Spurs have clinched the two-seed (at least) in the Western Conference as they continue their chase 2.5 games back of the Oklahoma City Thunder. They most recently took down the Milwaukee Bucks 127-95 as they look for their ninth-straight victory in this one.
NBA odds courtesy of DraftKings
Bulls vs. Spurs Odds
Chicago Bulls: +18.5 (-115)
San Antonio Spurs: -18.5 (-105)
Over: 244.5 (-105)
Under: 244.5 (-115)
Bulls vs. Spurs Key Injuries
Chicago: Nick Richards (elbow – Questionable) / Guerschon Yabusele (ankle – Questionable) / Zach Collins (toe – OUT) / Noa essengue (shoulder – OUT) / Jaden Ivey (knee – OUT) / Anfernee Simons (wrist – OUT) / Jalen Smith (calf – OUT)
San Antonio: None to report.
Bulls vs. Spurs Betting Trends
- The San Antonio Spurs are 28-7 at home. The Chicago Bulls have gone 11-25 on the road.
- The Spurs have gone 45-12 as betting favorites. The Bulls are 18-29 as underdogs.
- The Spurs are 43-32 ATS overall, 20-15 ATS at home. The Bulls are 35-39 ATS overall, 15-21 ATS on the road.
- The Bulls are 7-3 outright, 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against the Spurs.
- The Bulls are 15-13 ATS against Western Conference opponents this season.
- The Spurs are 4-2 ATS in their last six games.
- The total has gone OVER in five of Chicago's last six games.
- The Spurs are 12-1 in their last 13 games at home.
Keys to Bulls vs. Spurs Matchup
There's no denying that the San Antonio Spurs have been the hottest team in the NBA during the second half of the season, posting a staggering 18-2 record since the All-Star break. Still, they're 2.5 games back of the western-leading Oklahoma City Thunder with eight games remaining on their schedule, so notching these key wins down the stretch carry a ton of weight for the Spurs. The Bulls, on the other hand, have fallen out of playoff contention following a 6-1 start to the season, an ultimate disappointing campaign as they return to the drawing board in the offseason.
Still, we've seen bottom-ranked teams put up solid performances over the last few days, notably the Pacers upsetting the Miami Heat and the Utah Jazz hanging in with the Denver Nuggets. The Spurs have been a very good team in covering the spread all season, but with the NBA Playoffs looming and the health of players being paramount at this juncture, we could see players like Victor Wembanyama or Stephon Castle sitting at the end of blowouts.
This could offer a team like the Bulls a chance to cover a wide spread in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter, especially with a capable playmaker like Josh Giddey being the only real source of offense for this team. The development of Matas Buzelis has also been one bright spot for the Bulls to look forward to, averaging 16.4 PPG and 5.7 RPG in his rookie campaign. Over the last five games, Buzelis is averaging 19.6 PPG and 7.2 RPG, so expect him to continue making the most of all his opportunities regardless of the season's outcome.
With all that being said, the Spurs should once again be in prime position to win at home and despite some likely resistance from Chicago early, this should become a one-sided affair once the Spurs settle in on defense. No one in the NBA, much less on the Chicago Bulls roster, has been able to come up with an effective game plan against Victor Wembanyama and it doesn't look like they'll start at this point of the season.
Bulls vs. Spurs Prediction and Pick
There's no doubt in the San Antonio Spurs to win this game as the betting favorites, but it's worth noting their first game against the Bulls was only decided by four points in a 121-117 finish. Victor Wembanyama still managed to do whatever he wanted with 38 points and 12 rebounds, but the Bulls managed to hang in at home to cover the spread.
I expect the Spurs to win big in this game, but 19 points is an awful lot to cover especially for a team already looking ahead towards the playoffs. The Bulls could keep this game manageable down the stretch, so we'll take the safer pick and roll with the road team and the points in this one. Recent trends suggest this total could fly over as well.
Final Bulls-Spurs Prediction & Pick: Chicago Bulls +18.5 (-115); OVER 244.5 (-105)
