Subscribe
Follow Us
The Chicago Bulls will take on the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Bulls-Nuggets prediction and pick.
This is a matchup between two of the most talented teams in the league, so it should be a good one. The Bulls have been one of the biggest surprises in the league so far, as no one expected them to play this well right away. Chicago is currently sitting in the third seed in the Eastern Conference despite the absence of star center Nikola Vucevic. On the other hand, the Nuggets have had a slightly disappointing start to the season. Even with their tremendously talented roster, Denver has only managed to take the sixth seed in the West so far. This is a big opportunity for a quality win for both teams, so it's sure to be a good game.
Here are the odds for Bulls-Nuggets, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Bulls-Nuggets Odds
Chicago Bulls: +2 (-112)
Denver Nuggets: -2 (-108)
Over: 209 (-110)
Under: 209 (-110)
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why The Bulls Can Cover The Spread
Article Continues Below
Chicago's hot start to the season has been spurred by one of the league's best offenses. The Bulls rank inside the top ten in the NBA in a plethora of offensive statistics including field goal percentage, three-point percentage, shooting efficiency, and field goals made per game. This is clearly a high-powered offense, and it should show against a vastly overrated Denver defense.
The Nuggets have allowed the least points per game to their opponents this season, but that number is deceiving. Denver has also allowed their opponents to shoot at a high clip from almost anywhere on the floor. The pacing of their games allow the Nuggets to keep their points per game statistic low, but they are far from the league's best defense. Chicago shouldn't have all that much trouble scoring against them here.
Why The Nuggets Can Cover The Spread
Home court advantage is usually a nice added edge for the home team, but it's been an absolutely monster advantage for the Nuggets. Denver is currently 7-2 on their home floor, with a 5-4 record against the spread at Ball Arena. The Bulls have actually been one of the best teams in the league against the spread, but their chances of covering significantly decrease when they play on the road as underdogs. In that situation, Chicago is a mere 2-3.
Ever since center Nikola Vucevic was ruled out because of the NBA's health and safety protocols, the Bulls haven't looked anywhere near as good on offense. Vucevic has missed four games so far, and Chicago has gone 2-2 in that stretch. They also have two poor offensive performances in those four games, as they only scored a combined 193 points against the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers. It's clear that this offense struggles without their star center, which gives the Nuggets a great chance to put up a good defensive performance and protect their home floor.
Final Bulls-Nuggets Prediction & Pick
It's sort of strange to see the Bulls as underdogs here. The Nuggets were just absolutely torched by a shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers team at home, and now they face a much better Chicago squad. Take the Bulls to cover on the road or win straight up.
Final Bulls-Nuggets Pick: Chicago Bulls +2 (-112)
