NBA Sports Betting Bulls @ Nets
With the Bulls, it’s either one major problem or another. Look at their last couple of games, for instance. Against Miami on Friday they shoot just 37% from the field and perform decently on defense but they lose a 90-77 decision to the Heat. Then they turnaround on Saturday and shoot over 54% against Atlanta, with Derrick Rose and Ben Gordon combining for 60 points, but they fall flat on defense, surrendering almost 56% from the field and forcing only seven turnovers, as they lose 129-117 to Atlanta.
BetUS NBA Betting Odds: NEW JERSEY -5.5, Total 209.5
Here are some of the NBA pro basketball sports betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
* CHI has covered four of its last 13 games
* CHI has lost four of its last five games SU
* CHI has played seven of its last eight games OVER the total
* CHI has covered one of its last seven road games
* CHI has lost its last seven road games SU
* CHI has played four of its last five road games OVER the total
* NJ has played five of its last six games OVER the total
* NJ has covered one of its last seven home games
* NJ has lost six of its last seven home games SU
Also….
* NJ has covered 12 of the last 18 meetings
* NJ has won 13 of the last 18 meetings SU
* The last five meetings have gone OVER the total
* NJ has covered ten of the last 11 meetings as the home team
* NJ has won the last five meetings SU as the home team
* Six of the last seven meetings in East Rutherford have gone OVER the total
* CHI has had the rebounding edge in four of the last six meetings
The Bulls had no inside strength to begin with, as Drew Gooden is out of action for the time being, and Luol Deng has a sprained ankle as well. It’s been tough to keep opponents off the board or to defend up front. Kirk Hinrich and Larry Hughes have been named to NBA All-Defensive teams in the past, but Hinrich is still out with a torn ligament in his thumb and Hughes has been belly-aching about not getting enough playing time.
New Jersey hasn’t been performing well at home. They’ve lost six of seven in the Izod Center. After scoring an impressive 121-97 win over Dallas On December 19, the Nets have been awful in losing to Miami, Houston and Charlotte. To demonstrate their Jekyll-and-Hyde nature however, they beat the Bobcats in Charlotte a couple of days ago.
It is obviously very risky guessing when the Nets’ next winning effort in the Meadowlands in going to be, but New Jersey can at least match Chicago in backcourt firepower, as long as Devin Harris and Vince Carter (almost 47 ppg between them) are in the lineup. The Nets are the healthier team at the moment as well. Last time these teams met, Chicago exploded with 38 points in the fourth quarter in a nine-point win at the United Center. We’ll look for a reversal here, and lay the points with the Nets, the 5.5-point favorite in the BetUS NBA pro basketball sports betting odds.
