The Charlotte Hornets (15-37) visit the Chicago Bulls (23-27) on Thursday night. Action tips off at 8:10 p.m. ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Hornets-Bulls prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Charlotte has won two of their last three games but still sits in 14th place in the Eastern Conference. The Hornets covered 46% of their games while 52% went over the projected point total. Chicago has lost three of their last four games to keep them in 11th place in the East. The Bulls covered 52% of their games while 54% went under. This will be the third of four meetings between the conference foes this season. They've split the series thus far, with each home team winning by double-digits.
Here are the Hornets-Bulls NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Hornets-Bulls Odds
Charlotte Hornets: +6 (-114)
Chicago Bulls: -6 (-106)
Over: 236.5 (-110)
Under: 236.5 (-110)
How To Watch Hornets vs. Bulls
TV: Bally Southeast, NBCS Chicago
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Hornets Could Cover The Spread
Charlotte enters tonight's game having lost three consecutive road games. That being said, the Hornets sit in a nice position to cover tonight thanks to their frisky offense. After scoring 117 against Miami and 115 against Milwaukee, Charlotte has shown the ability to put up points against top-tier defenses. While they may average just 112.3 PPG, the Hornets are elite on the fast break and in the paint. Charlotte averages 15.3 fast break points per game – seventh in the league. Even though they play at the fourth-fastest pace in the league, the Hornets seldom turn the ball over, ranking fifth in turnover rate (11.7%). Additionally, they rank fifth with 54.9 points in the paint per game and 53.7 rebounds per game.
The Hornets are led by their talented backcourt of Terry Rozier and LaMelo Ball. The two have been putting up strong numbers all season, but they've really figured things out over their last five games. During that span, Rozier leads the team with 24.2 PPG and 3.4 made threes per game. Rozier scored 28 points in their most recent win against Chicago just last week. Ball's scoring has dipped somewhat as of late, but he still averaged 20.3 PPG. Perhaps most impressive for Ball is how he impacts the game outside of putting the ball in the basket. Coming off a 27-point, 11-assist, 10-rebound triple-double, Ball is well-equipped to give Chicago fits tonight.
The X-factor for the Hornets tonight has to be big man Mason Plumlee. Plumlee is one of the most consistent, solid big men in the league. An excellent finisher around the rim, the veteran averaged 16 PPG on 72% shooting across his last five games. He remains a strong rebounder as well, averaging 9.6 RPG over that span. When these teams squared off last week Plumlee output one of his best performances of the season. In the win, he scored 21 points on a perfect 9/9 shooting while pulling down 12 rebounds and dishing out four assists.
Why The Bulls Could Cover The Spread
Chicago is the definition of an average basketball team. The Bulls rank 15th in scoring (114.3 PPG) and 18th in defense (114.4 Opp. PPG). With a -0.1 average point differential, they are as close to being a perfectly average team as you can get. Despite ranking ninth in three-point percentage (37%), Chicago attempts the fewest outside shots in the league. Yet, they remain effective on offense thanks to strong efficiency metrics. The Bulls shoot the fifth-highest percentage both from the free-throw line (81%) and from the floor (49%). They are a solid rebounding team who excels on the defensive glass. Chicago holds the fourth-highest defensive rebounding percentage in the league at 78%.
Chicago is led by their “Big Three” of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic. Outside of these three, no other Bull averages greater than 10.5 points per game. That being said, these three have been fantastic. DeRozan leads the team with 26.3 PPG and 5.0 APG on 51% shooting. The 33-year-old scored 28 points in their date with Charlotte last week – something he'll have a good chance of replicating tonight.
As for LaVine and Vucevic, they are each strong scoring options themselves. LaVine averages 23.7 PPG thanks largely to 2.9 made threes per game. A streaky scorer, LaVine could easily go for 35 points tonight… or 10. That being said, he was two assists away from a triple-double in their most recent outing and has shown signs of contributing beyond the scoring department. Vucevic serves as a strong floor-stretcher and rebounder, averaging 17.6 PPG, 11.1 RPG, and 1.7 threes per game.
Final Hornets-Bulls Prediction & Pick
After beating the Bulls by double digits and giving the Heat and Bucks fits in recent games, I like the Hornets to keep things tight tonight and wouldn't be surprised if they win outright.
Final Hornets-Bulls Prediction & Pick: Charlotte Hornets +6 (-114)
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