Chicago Bulls (26-10) vs. Dallas Mavericks (21-18)
January 9, 2022 7:30 pm EDT
The Line: Dallas Mavericks 2.5; Over/Under: -
(Get latest betting odds)
The Chicago Bulls and the Dallas Mavericks duke it out at the American Airlines Center on Sunday night.
The Chicago Bulls have been in red-hot form as they’ve won 13 of their past 15 games overall and they will be eager to build on their current nine-game win streak after outlasting the Wizards in a 130-122 home win on Friday. Zach LaVine led the team with 27 points on nine of 18 shooting, Lonzo Ball added 18 points with six assists while Nikola Vucevic chipped in with 16 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists and four steals. As a team, the Bulls shot 52 percent from the field and 15 of 33 from the 3-point line as they hit the ground running with 73 points in the first half to take the early lead, before going on a decisive 18-8 run in the third quarter to lead by as many as 19 points.
Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks have been in great form themselves as they’ve won six of their past seven games and they will be looking for a sixth straight victory after routing the Rockets in a 130-106 road win on Friday. Tim Hardaway Jr. led the team in scoring with 19 points and seven assists off the bench, Josh Green added 17 points on six of seven shooting while Reggie Bullock, Dwight Powell and Jalen Brunson each scored 15 points. As a team, the Mavericks shot 54 percent from the field and 17 of 38 from the 3-point line as they stormed out of the gates with a 43-23 first quarter which allowed them to cruise the rest of the way as the margin remained at double-digits.
Looking at the betting trends, the Bulls are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games, 5-2 ATS in their last seven games against a team with a winning record and 16-5 ATS in their last 21 Sunday games. The Mavericks are 5-1 ATS in their last six home games, 4-12 ATS in their last 16 Sunday games and 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall.
Head to head, the Bulls are 4-0-1 ATS in the last five meetings overall and the Bulls are 9-3-1 ATS in the last 13 meetings in Dallas.
The Bulls will again be without Alex Caruso and Jordan Bell, while the Mavericks are without Willie Cauley-Stein and Kristaps Porzingis with Luka Doncic currently considered questionable. Both teams are coming into this one with plenty of momentum, but the Bulls hold the major edge in this one if Doncic isn’t able to suit up. With that being said, I’m sticking with the Bulls to stay hot with another win and cover against the shorthanded Mavericks in this spot.
