At 7:00 ET, the 9th place Chicago Bulls (-142) will head to Charlotte to take on the 13th place Hornets (+118). The Bulls are favored by 2.5 points and the over/under line is set at 217.5 at Jazz Sports.

Chicago (22-26) is 4th in the Central Division while Charlotte (10-35) is 4th in the Southeast. The Hornets have dropped four straight games and are 4-6 in their last 10 contests.

Do the Bulls Have What it Takes on the Road?

Chicago’s O/U record for the season is 23-24-1, and the team has hit the under in their last two games. Today’s O/U line is 217.5, and the Bulls have averaged 223.3 points per game this season.

Against the spread, the Bulls are 24-23 for the season and 10-12 on the road. As the favorite, they are 11-10 vs. the spread on the road and 14-8 overall.

In their last game vs. the Raptors, the Bulls lost 118-107 as 6.5-point favorites. The O/U line for that game was 228, and Chicago’s ATS record took a hit with the loss.

Looking at the Eastern Conference standings, the Bulls are in 9th place with a record of 22-26. In the Central Division, they are 4th. On the road, the Bulls are 8-15 compared to 14-11 at home.

As the favorite, the Bulls are 14-8 this season and 22 of their 48 games have seen them favored. Currently, they are favored by 2.5 points against the Hornets.

So far this season, the Bulls have struggled to score, ranking just 26th in the league at 110.9 points per game. On the road, they have been slightly worse, averaging 110.3 points per game.

Chicago’s offense has been below the NBA scoring average in 64.6% of their games this season. In terms of pace, the Bulls are 27th in the league at 96.6 possessions per game.

When it comes to shooting, the Bulls are 23rd in field goal percentage at 46%. From beyond the arc, they are 25th in three-point shooting at 35%.

So far this season, the Bulls defense has been performing well, ranking 9th in the NBA at 112.5 points allowed per contest. Opponents are hitting 55.6% of their two-point field goal attempts this season, and they’re also connecting on 36.7% of their three-point attempts.

  • Zach LaVine (Out) Ankle
  • Lonzo Ball (Out) Knee
  • Torrey Craig (Out) Right Foot
  • Patrick Williams (Out) Foot

Will Charlotte Pull Through as the Underdog Home Team?

Charlotte is currently on a four-game losing streak and are 10-35 overall this season. In the Eastern Conference, they are 13th and 4th in the Southeast Division.

The Hornets are 8-33 as the underdog this season and are 15-24 ATS as the underdog. Today, they are getting 2.5 points and have gone 0-4 ATS as the underdog recently.

Charlotte’s O/U record for the season is 23-22 and their games have averaged 228.9 points per game. Today’s O/U line is 217.5.

In their last game, the Hornets lost to the Knicks by a score of 113-92. The O/U line for that game was 219 points. Charlotte was a 9-point underdog in that game.

At home, the Hornets have an ATS record of 7-13 and are 5-17 straight-up. On average, they are being outscored by 11.5 points per game at home.

The Hornets are one of the slower-paced teams in the NBA, ranking 22nd in pace at 98 possessions per game. They are also 28th in scoring at 108.6 points per game.

Charlotte has struggled at the free-throw line this season, ranking last in both free throws made and attempted per game. They are also 28th in true shooting percentage.

In terms of three-point shooting, the Hornets are 20th in three-point percentage at 36%. They are also 23rd in three-pointers made per game.

Coming into the game, the Hornets will be looking to improve their defense, as they are currently giving up 120.3 points per game (25th). Inside the arc, the Hornets defense is giving up a shooting percentage of 57.2% and 39.5% from three-point territory.

  • Kyle Lowry (Out) Not With Team
  • Gordon Hayward (Out) Calf
  • Miles Bridges (Probable) Elbow
  • LaMelo Ball (Doubtful) Ankle
  • Mark Williams (Out) Back

Bulls vs. Hornets Pick

For today’s matchup we are recommending to take the Bulls to secure the win, with an expected final score of 109-106. When it comes to the spread, we believe they’ll cover at -2.5.

Pick: Take the Bulls at -2.5

The Total

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 217.5, and our model predicts the Bulls and Hornets to score a combined 215 points. We recommend betting on the under.

Pick: Go Under 217.5 points (-110)