The Bulls will hit the road to take on the Phoenix Suns, a team with some talented young pieces that has yet to put it all together. Phoenix has the worst record in the Western Conference and will likely be a home underdog in this one.
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Odds at BookMaker.eu
The Bulls are 26-26 straight up and 26-26 against the spread. Chicago has played in 26 games away from home on the season and has held up well, covering in 14 of them. The Bulls have gone 11-14 against the spread as the favorite this season.
The Suns are 16-36 straight up and 26-25-1 against the spread. Phoenix has played in 25 home games and has covered in 12 of them. The Suns are 24-19-1 against the spread as the underdog this season as they are used to getting points and should once again in this one.
Player to Watch
Devin Booker -- The Suns’ best shot at pulling out this win is a big game from their best player. While Booker is only 20 years old, he has shown star flashes already in his career.
The 6-foot-6 shooting guard is averaging 21.1 points, 3.2 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game. He is shooting 42 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from three-point range. Booker has steadily improved his game and is one of the team’s main playmakers.
Booker and Eric Bledsoe are the team’s most potent scorers and both will need to have big games in this one.
Key Stat
112.6. That’s the number of points per game the Suns are allowing, which is one of the worst marks in the NBA. Phoenix has given up 127 points to the Nuggets, 124 to the Clippers and 137 to the Bucks in recent games, all losses.
The Bulls don’t score a bunch of points, but the Suns’ defense has been so bad that it wouldn’t be a surprise for Chicago to get a lot of easy buckets. Butler leads Chicago in scoring with 24.6 points and shoots 45.7 percent from the field.
Wade is the other key cog, averaging 19.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists. He is getting older but has still proven to be an important piece, and the Suns will have trouble stopping both Butler and Wade in this one.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Suns have enough talented prospects to feel encouraged about the future, but the defensive troubles and the lack of cohesion make winning a rare proposition this year.
Phoenix is a little bit better at home than on the road this season, but not appreciably so, and not enough to make it the favorite in this one. The Bulls, meanwhile, would love to keep moving up the Eastern Conference standings in order to get home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Road wins are always tough to get, but Chicago has enough talent to outlast a young Suns team. Phoenix can play well in spurts but is not super consistent and a big run by the Bulls could be the difference in this one.
Chicago has had its share of controversy this season, but winning cures ills, and this one will help.
NBA Odds: Bulls 115, Suns 108
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