The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Chicago Bulls duke it out at the United Center on Tuesday night. Here’s a Bulls vs. Thunder prediction. This article will include a Bulls vs. Thunder pick.
Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Preview
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been in great form as they’ve won seven of their last nine games overall and they will be aiming for a third straight victory after taking down the severely depleted Mavericks in a 100-87 road win on Sunday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the team with 30 points and five assists on 12 of 20 shooting; Chet Holmgren added 19 points with nine rebounds and two blocks, while Isaiah Joe chipped in with 14 points off the bench. As a team, the Thunder shot 45 percent from the field and eight of 39 from the 3-point line as they set the tone with 36 points in the first quarter to jump out to an early double-digit lead that kept growing until it peaked at 22 points. It wasn’t the most clinical of finishes, as the Thunder managed just 17 points in the fourth quarter to fall just short of covering as 16-point favorites.
Chicago Bulls Betting Preview
Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls have been ice-cold lately as they’ve lost 14 of their last 16 games overall, but they will be feeling much better after they snapped an 11-game losing streak with a 120-97 win over the Bucks on Sunday. Collin Sexton led the team with 22 points on nine of 14 shooting off the bench; Matas Buzelis added 20 points with seven rebounds and two blocks, while Josh Giddey tallied a triple-double of 20 points with 14 rebounds and 10 assists. As a team, the Bulls shot 51 percent from the field and 18 of 49 from the 3-point line as they struggled to find their offense early on and scored just 21 points in the second quarter to trail by as many as 16 points, but that all changed in the second half, where the Bulls outscored the Bucks by an incredible 69-31 to pull off their best win of the season.
Why the Chicago Bulls will win
- The Bulls have won seven of their last eight games as home underdogs following a win.
- The Thunder have lost each of their last two games as favorites against Central Division opponents following a win.
- The underdogs have covered the spread in each of the Thunder’s last five games.
- The Thunder have failed to cover the spread in four of their last five games against teams that held a losing record.
Why the Oklahoma City Thunder will win
- The Thunder have won each of their last 26 road games against teams that held a losing record.
- The Bulls have lost each of their last 11 night games.
- The Thunder have covered the spread in each of their last seven games against the Bulls.
- The Bulls have failed to cover the spread in 10 of their last 11 night games.
Total Points: Facts
- Seven of the Thunder’s last eight road games have gone OVER the total points line.
- Each of the Bulls’ last four games has gone UNDER the total points line.
Chicago Bulls Player Facts
- Josh Giddey is one of only three players in the league to be leading his team in points, rebounds, and assists this season.
- Tre Jones ranks 4th amongst qualified players for assist:turnover ratio (4.3) this season.
Oklahoma City Thunder Player Facts
- Cason Wallace ranks 2nd amongst qualified players for steals per game (2.0) this season.
- Chet Holmgren ranks 2nd amongst qualified players for blocks per game (2.0) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Bulls rank 29th in the league for Q3 opponent points per game this season (31.0).
- The Bulls rank 29th in the league for H2 opponent points per game this season (59.8).
- The Thunder rank 1st in the league for point differential per game this season (+11.3).
- The Thunder rank 1st in the league for opponent field goal percentage this season (43.6%).
Bulls vs Thunder Prediction
The Thunder are shorthanded once again with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Isaiah Hartenstein, Ajay Mitchell, and Jalen Williams ruled out, while the Bulls have ruled out Anfernee Simons, Zach Collins, Jaden Ivey, and Jalen Smith again. The Thunder head into this contest with a few injuries to deal with, but they were always going to be firm favorites against the Bulls, who were absolutely ice-cold before their impressive comeback win over the Bucks on Sunday. The Bulls can certainly make a contest of this if they play like they did in their last outing, but those performances have been rare this season. The Thunder weren’t able to cover a double-digit spread in their last game thanks to a cold shooting night, but even without SGA in action, I expect the Thunder to earn the win and cover on the road.