The Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bulls are both dealing with injuries to some of their star players as they matchup Wednesday at United Center. With that said, it’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Hornets-Bulls prediction and pick.
The Hornets have won only four of their last ten games en route to a record of 28-29 and the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. Similarly, the Bulls have also won four of their last ten games for a record of 24-34 and the 12th seed in the Eastern Conference.
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Hornets-Bulls odds.
NBA Odds: Hornets-Bulls Odds
Charlotte Hornets +1 (-110)
Chicago Bulls -1 (-110)
Over 210 Points (-115)
Under 210 Points(-105)
Why The Hornets Could Cover The Spread
Hornets' Injury Report: Gordon Hayward (out), LaMelo Ball (out), Malik Monk (out), and Nate Darling (out)
The Hornets have been playing without their two stars in Hayward and LaMelo. The two averaged 19.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.1 assists and 15.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game respectively.
This is a huge loss for the Hornets as they look to secure a spot in the playoffs and so Coach James Borrego will need Devonte Graham and Miles Bridges to step up in those players' absence.
Graham, who was being considered as the Most Improved Player last year, has been having a disappointing season so far, averaging just 14.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists with terrible efficiency too.
Bridges have been averaging 11.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game for the season so far but the Hornets will need him to fill the void left behind by Hayward.
Fortunately, the Bulls are going through their fair share of injuries and so the two critical keys for Coach Borrego's squad will be to out-produce the Bulls offensively and to slow down Vucevic as much as possible.
Why The Bulls Could Cover The Spread
Bulls' Injury Report: Zach LaVine (out) and Troy Brown Jr. (out)
The Bulls are looking from just outside the play-in tournament for the playoffs and are looking to make a run as the end of the season nears.
Coach Billy Donovan will be without his All-Star Zach LaVine on Wednesday and that means he'll need to rely heavily on Nikola Vucevic who has been amazingly consistent for him since the trade.
Vucevic is averaging 22.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game for the season while shooting 50 percent from the field and an impressive 45 percent from behind the three-point line.
Coach Donovan will also need his main rotation players, including Lauri Markkanen, Coby White, Thaddeus Young, and Tomas Satoransky, to step up in order to make up for all the production lost without LaVine suiting up.
Fortunately for the Bulls as well, the Hornets are going through some injuries to their star players and so the keys for the Bulls will be to run the offense through Vucevic and to slow down the guards for the Hornets.
Final Hornets-Bulls Prediction & Pick
With the number of injuries that each team is experiencing, it is difficult to measure the offensive and defensive ability of the current active roster for both teams. The edge for the team that will most likely cover the spread goes to the Bulls though because of the offensive talent of their center Vucevic and the fact that the Hornets have no one that can guard him. Therefore, the Bulls should pick up a critical win to inch closer to the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION & PICK FOR HORNETS-BULLS: CHA 94, CHI 102 (CHI -1)
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