The Oklahoma City Thunder will travel to take on the Chicago Bulls in a Friday night NBA matchup at the United Center in Chicago. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes a Thunder-Bulls prediction and pick, laid out below.
Oklahoma City has struggled to a 19-23 record, but may be improving given their recent 4-4 stretch. The Thunder now find themselves in 12th place in the Western Conference. Mark Daigneault has not won more than 24 games in his previous two seasons at the helm of Oklahoma City.
Chicago has been up and down, going 19-23, good for 10th place in the Eastern Conference. Even when there has been momentum, namely a three-game winning streak, a rough stretch has immediately followed. Two separate four-game losing streaks underscore the inconsistency of the season. Chicago is currently on a two game losing streak.
Here are the Thunder-Bulls NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Thunder-Bulls Odds
Oklahoma City Thunder: +4.5 (-110)
Chicago Bulls: -4.5 (-110)
Over: 233 (-110)
Under: 233 (-110)
How To Watch Thunder vs. Bulls
TV: Bally Sports Southwest, NBC Sports Chicago
Stream: NBA, NBA League Pass
Time: 8:10 PM ET/ 5:10 PM PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Thunder Could Cover The Spread
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has broken out in a big way, averaging 31.0 points, 5.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game, all of which lead the team. Over a full season, Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring output would set a new career high. However, the rebuilding efforts for Oklahoma City were set back when Chet Holmgren was lost for the season back in August. Josh Giddey, who went sixth overall in 2021, leads the team in rebounding with 7.9 boards per game, providing size in the absence of Holmgren. Giddey also ranks second on the Thunder with 15.5 points per game. Lu Dort is second with 1.1 steals, scoring 14.0 points per game, while also turning the ball over less than twice per game. Chicago has forced 14.9 turnovers per game, which ranks 12th.
While Oklahoma City has put up the third-most shots in the league, they are shooting just 46.5 percent from the field, which ranks 20th, while opponents have shot 47.6 percent against Chicago. Oklahoma City has averaged 116.7 points per game, which ranks sixth in the league. The defense has been lacking, as opponents have averaged 116.5 points per game, which is 23rd in the league.
Why The Bulls Could Cover The Spread
DeMar DeRozan has continued his dominance, leading the team with 26.1 points and 4.9 assists per game. DeRozan has also pulled in 5.0 rebounds per game, which is third on the team. Zach LaVine, the high-flying combo guard, is second with 23.8 points, and 4.2 assists per game. Nikola Vucevic has cleaned up the boards, averaging 10.9 rebounds and 16.9 points per game, the lone Bull to average a double-double.
Shockingly, Chicago ranks 23rd in the league with 42.3 rebounds per game. Oklahoma City has allowed 47.4 rebounds per game to opponents, the highest total in the league. Chicago averages 7.4 steals per game, which ranks 11th in the league. Alex Caruso leads the team with 1.5 steals per game, also shooting 39.5 percent from behind the arc. DeRozan and LaVine are tied for second with 1.0 steals per game. Oklahoma City has turned the ball over 14.0 times per game.
Chicago ranks fifth with an 81.3 free throw percentage, and Oklahoma City fouls 22.0 times per game. Chicago’s offense ranks 13th with 114.2 points per game, while their defense has been average, ranking 18th with 114.9 points allowed per game.
Final Thunder-Bulls Prediction & Pick
There likely will not be a ton of defense played in this one and Chicago has much more talent.
Final Thunder-Bulls Prediction & Pick: Chicago -4.5 (-110), over 233 (-110)
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