Brooklyn Nets vs Chicago Bulls: Prediction, Starting Lineups, Odds (1/4/23)

The Brooklyn Nets visit the Chicago Bulls looking to win 13 straight. The Nets are coming off a blowout win against the Spurs, while the Bulls lost in overtime to the Cavaliers in the game where Donovan Mitchell scored 71 points. This should be an interesting matchup with the Bulls trying end the Nets winning streak. Let’s take a look at the odds and make some picks and predictions for this game!

Brooklyn Nets vs. Chicago Bulls Betting Odds

The Brooklyn Nets are 4.5-point road favorites against the Chicago Bulls and are at -210 on the money line. The over/under is also at 235.5 The Nets being favored here by this much on the road makes sense because they are on a role compared to the Bulls. The over/under also makes sense because both teams are very good on offense and are average at best on defense. This spread could move slightly before tip-off based on who’s available for each team.

Brooklyn Nets vs. Chicago Bulls Prediction

The pick: Brooklyn Nets -4.5

The Nets have rebounded extremely well this year and are the hottest team in the NBA right now, winning 12 straight games. Kevin Durant is obviously the leader and x-factor for the Nets. He’s Brooklyn’s leading scorer and just outside the top-5 in the NBA in scoring averaging 29.6 points a game. Kyrie Irving has also been back to his dominant ways and has been a huge factor in the Nets getting back on track. He’s just behind Durant in scoring for Brooklyn and he’s been decent passing the ball too. There’s a big drop off in production after Durant and Irving, scoring-wise, but Nic Claxton has been a decent big man down low, while Ben Simmons has helped the defense out a ton, and he’s leading the Nets in assists with 6 per game. As a team, the Nets are one of the best teams in the league on offense. They lead the NBA in field goal percentage at 51.5% a game and on defense they lead in blocks per game at 7. They are also top-5 in the NBA in points differential at +4.3. On the other side, the Bulls have been very inconsistent this year and recently lost two games in a row to the Cavaliers. DeMar DeRozan is the leader of the team and leads the team in scoring at 26.7 a game. The absence of Lonzo Ball has hurt them a lot this year, but they still have good pieces on the team. Zach LaVine is the second leading scorer and Nikola Vucevic is right behind him too. As a team they are also very good on offense and are top-15 in points scored, while also being top-5 in field goal percentage at 48.5%. Expect a lot of points here, and expect Brooklyn to pull it out late and to keep moving with their winning streak.

Betting Trends

Nets are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points.

Bulls are 3-0-1 ATS in their last 4 games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game.

Key Matchups

Can DeMar DeRozan matchup with Kevin Durant? Can Zach LaVine matchup with Kyrie Irving?

Kevin Durant vs. DeMar Derozan

Kevin Durant has been his usual dominant self this season. He averages 30 points, 6 assists, and 7 rebounds a game. In comparison, DeMar DeRozan has also been very good this year. He averages 27 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds a game. They won’t go at it all game, but definitely a few times. Durant is the better defender on paper, but DeRozan has a big opportunity to go against one of the best players in the NBA.

Kyrie Irving vs. Zach LaVine

Kyrie Irving has gotten back being dominant this season. He averages 26 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds a game. In comparison, Zach LaVine has been good this year too. He averages 23 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds a game. This matchup will be big and while they won’t go at it all game, they will a few times. LaVine is a better defender on paper than Irving, but Irving has a chance to show out again even more than he has.

Brooklyn Nets Starting Lineup

PG: Ben Simmons
SG: Kyrie Irving
SF: Royce O’Neale
PF: Kevin Durant
C: Nicolas Claxton

Chicago Bulls Starting Lineups

PG: Ayo Dosunmu
SG: Zach LaVine
SF: DeMar DeRozan
PF: Patrick Williams
C: Nikola Vucevic

Key Injuries

Brooklyn Nets Injuries: PF Markieff Morris (Illness) P, SF Royce O’Neale (Illness) P

Chicago Bulls Injuries: C Andre Drummond (Shoulder) P, PF Javonte Green (Knee) O