Jimmy Butler’s return to the Windy City is going to be one of the most highly anticipated games this week. The Chicago Bulls have hit rock bottom without their former star this season. They have lost seven in a row, and it would take a miracle run for them to even come close to sniffing the postseason at this point. That being said, they will be certainly motivated to knock off Butler and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.
This war on the floor will go down Friday, February 9, 2018, at 9:30 p.m. ET at United Center in Chicago, Illinois. The game will be televised live on ESPN. We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Friday schedule.
Opening NBA Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Although Chicago has disappointed on the court, it has not disappointed at the window. The Bulls have covered in almost 56 percent of their games this season, making them the fourth most profitable team to bet on in the NBA. They used to be much better against the number though. Chicago has failed to cover in six straight.
Overs have hit at a decent clip in Chicago games this season. Only three teams have been profitable if you bet the over in every one of their games, and Chicago is one of them. However, under has cashed in five of their six games.
Minnesota has covered the number in each of its last three games. The Timberwolves hammered both New Orleans and Milwaukee, but have lost some inexplicable games too. Over the last few weeks they have lost outright to Brooklyn, Orlando, and Atlanta.
The under has been a solid bet in Minnesota games as of late. Under has cashed in four of the last five.
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Adding Butler into the mix has been just what the doctor ordered for the Timberwolves. This team struggled under Tom Thibodeau in his first year in Minneapolis, but has turned the corner with one of his former players now on the roster.
Not only has Butler complemented Karl-Anthony Towns well, he has surpassed him in many ways. Butler has prevented defenses from collapsing onto Towns because of his ability to create and distribute. He can create his own shot and is a fantastic passer for a shooting guard, giving his teammates ample opportunity to score.
There’s no doubt that he is going to be ready to take on his former team. He had an acrimonious relationship with Bulls management during the end of his tenure and will look to show Chicago that it made a mistake by allowing him to leave.
Key Stat
Without Butler, Chicago has struggled to create offense this season. The Bulls have become the worst two-point shooting team in the league and also have the worst shooting percentage too. They are hitting just 43.7 percent of their field goals, and that will only get worse with Nikola Mirotic now a member of the Pelicans.
Chicago is in a full-on rebuild at this point and will likely give Lauri Markkanen and Kris Dunn a lot of minutes down the stretch. These were two of the best collegiate players over the last couple seasons, and trading Mirotic will lead to more playing time for Markkanen.
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Butler is not the only one looking for some revenge against his former team. Zach LaVine was the key part of the deal that sent Butler to the Timberwolves, and he will be looking to light up Minnesota. He has proven to be a solid three-point shooter, but has been poor inside the arc.
When it’s all said and done, it will be Minnesota who picks up the win here. Butler is going to go off on his former team as there is no one on this roster who can guard him effectively. Expect him to finish with over 30 points in an easy Timberwolves win.
NBA Betting Odds: Timberwolves 111, Bulls 102
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