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The NBA regular season continues with games on Friday. The Chicago Bulls will hit the road and take on the Phoenix Suns. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Bulls-Suns prediction and pick.
Both of these teams have had somewhat different starts to the season. The Chicago Bulls have been a competitive team, but are coming off back-to-back losses. While the Phoenix Suns have been one of the best teams in the league and are coming off three straight wins. This should be a really fun game between two competitive teams.
Here are the Bulls-Suns NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Bulls-Suns Odds
Chicago Bulls: +5 (-110)
Phoenix Suns: -5 (-110)
Over: 231.5 (-110)
Under: 231.5 (-110)
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Why The Bulls Could Cover The Spread
The Chicago Bulls have been a competitive team this year. They have had to battle through injuries and adversity, but through it all, they have managed to stay near the top of the league. Through their first 69 games, they have a winning record of 41-28. However, in spite of their success this season, they have been struggling recently and are coming off two straight losses. Their most recent defeat came against the Utah Jazz by 15. The Jazz are a good team, but that match should have been more competitive. Chicago has enough of their roster intact to remain competitive, they just need to step up their level of play.
The Bulls were outscored by Utah in every single quarter of their match-up. Chicago was simply outclassed by the Jazz but will look to bounce back on Friday. The Suns are arguably an even tougher opponent than Utah, so if the Bulls want to pull off this upset they will need to step things up. While Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan may be a dominant duo, the Bulls need more than two players if they want to win games. That is where they are being hurt by injuries. The Bulls are missing the depth to be competitive. Chicago is relying too much on their best guys to carry the team, and while they may be able to win a game here and there, it's not sustainable.
Currently, the Bulls have three players listed on their injury report. Zach LaVine is listed as probable for Friday's game after suffering a knee aggravation. If LaVine doesn't play that would be a huge blow to the Bulls, but that likely won't be the case. Beyond LaVine, there are two other players listed on the injury report, including Lonzo Ball, who is still dealing with a knee injury. This Bulls team has been crippled for most of the season, but will hopefully be able to come back in time for playoffs.
Why The Suns Could Cover The Spread
The Phoenix Suns have quite possibly been the best team in the NBA. Few teams have been able to compete with Phoenix, and over the course of the season, the Suns have run through the top teams in the league. Through 70 games the Suns have an impressive record of 56-14. Phoenix has won their last three games in impressive fashion. They are coming off wins of 29, 16, and 17 points. Their recent games haven't been close. Their most recent win came over the Houston Rockets. Devin Booker went off in that match and led the team in scoring with 36 points. Phoenix will look to build on their recent successes on Friday, and add another win to their record.
While a team effort may not be the words used to describe the Suns' win over Houston, they still put in a dominant performance. The Phoenix starters have been dominating opponents. All of the starters played over 30 minutes. Four out of five scored over 20 points. When Phoenix has their best lineup on the court they are tough to compete with. Chicago's only hope will be to take advantage of the Phoenix bench. However, given the way the Suns have been playing lately, even that seems unlikely.
With all the success the Suns have had this season, most people wouldn't expect them to be suffering from so many injuries. Phoenix currently has six players listed on their injury report, which helps to explain why they're leaning so heavily on their starters. Only Jae Crowder is listed as questionable for Friday's match. Crowder's presence would be a welcome addition to the roster. Regardless, the Suns have a talented enough roster that they are more than capable of making up for the absent players.
Final Bulls-Suns Prediction & Pick
This could end up being a very competitive game. If both teams come in ready to battle then this could go down to the wire. However, the Bulls have not shown that they are ready for this level of battle. Phoenix on the other hand, has been on a roll lately and is coming off three straight dominant performances. Given all of this, pick the Suns to win and cover.
FINAL BULLS-SUNS PICK: Phoenix Suns -5 (-110)
FINAL BULLS-SUNS SCORE PREDICTION: Suns 120 – Bulls 110
