The Washington Wizards will travel to take on the Chicago Bulls in a Wednesday night NBA matchup at the United Center in the Windy City. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes a Wizards-Bulls prediction and pick, laid out below.
Washington is currently on a three-game losing streak, dropping their record to 11-13. The sub-.500 record puts the team in 10th place in the Eastern Conference. Wes Unseld's team was dealt a crippling blow when Bradley Beal was injured this week. The star guard will be reevaluated next week.
Chicago has lost four of their last five games, including their last three games, to fall to a 9-14 mark. Head coach Billy Donovan's squad finds themselves in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. Nothing seems to have gone right for Chicago, who are in desperate need of a turnaround.
Here are the Wizards-Bulls NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Wizards-Bulls Odds
Washington Wizards: +5.5 (-115)
Chicago Bulls: -5.5 (-105)
Over: 227.5 (-110)
Under: 227.5 (-110)
Why The Wizards Could Cover The Spread
Two of Washington's top four scorers, Beal and Rui Hamichura, are out for at least a week with leg injuries. Beal leads the team with 22.9 points and 5.4 assists per game. Kristaps Porzingis is second on the team with 21.8 points and leads the team with 8.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. Porzingis has shot 46.8 percent from the field. Kyle Kuzma, in his second year with Washington, has averaged 20.6 points per game, which would be a career-high across a full season. Kuzma has also pulled in 7.7 rebounds per game. Deni Avdija ranks third with 5.0 rebounds per game but has not provided much outside of his work on the boards. Washington ranks 10th in the league with 44.7 rebounds per game, fourth in blocks at 6.3, and third in fewest turnovers at 13.3 per game. Chicago has succeeded in turning over their opponents, ranking third in turnovers forced.
Washington has been pedestrian offensively, ranking 19th with 111.0 points per game. Defense has been better for the Wizards, ranking 12th with 112.5 points allowed per game.
Why The Bulls Could Cover The Spread
DeMar DeRozan has continued his dominance, leading the team with 25.5 points and 4.7 assists per game. DeRozan has also pulled in 4.4 rebounds per game. Zach LaVine, the high-flying combo guard, is second with 22.0 points, and 4.2 assists per game. Nikola Vucevic has cleaned up the boards, averaging 11.0 rebounds and 15.8 points per game, the lone Bull to average a double-double. Shockingly, Chicago ranks 19th in the league with 42.9 rebounds per game. Washington has allowed 44.1 rebounds per game to opponents. Ayo Dosunmu is the fourth and final Bull to average double-digit points, checking in at 10.4 points per game. Chicago averages 7.5 steals per game, which ranks 11th in the league. Alex Caruso leads the team with 1.4 steals per game, also shooting 35.7 percent from behind the arc.
Chicago ranks third with an 82.5 free throw percentage, and Washington fouls 19.8 times per game. Chicago's offense ranks 17th with 111.5 points per game, while their defense has been average, ranking 15th with 112.9 points allowed per game.
Final Wizards-Bulls Prediction & Pick
The Bradley Beal and Rui Hamichura injuries will certainly take their toll on Washington. The Wizards needed at least a star to match up well with DeRozan and LaVine. Vucevic needs to assert his presence in the paint for Chicago in this one.
Final Wizards-Bulls Prediction & Pick: Chicago -5.5 (-105), over 227.5 (-110)
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