The Chicago Bulls will wrap up a six-game road trip Sunday at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, when they face off against the Dallas Mavericks for the second and last time this regular season. Back on January 3, the Bulls outlasted the Mavs 118-108 as 4-point home dogs, tallying their second consecutive win over Dallas.
Chicago will miss PG Tomas Satoransky (COVID-19), while all other guys are ready to play. On the other side, Dallas could be without five players due to the medical protocols, so let’s see what’s the best betting pick for the Bulls vs. Mavericks showdown.
The Bulls always find a way to lose
The Chicago Bulls (4-8; 8-4 ATS) are on a four-game losing streak following a 127-125 overtime defeat at the Oklahoma City Thunder last Friday. All those four losses came by four or fewer points, and the Bulls covered the spread on all four occasions, but that won’t help their overall record.
Zach LaVine had another monstrous game on Friday, posting 35 points and six assists after dropping 45 points on the Clippers this past Sunday. During the Bulls’ skid, LaVine has averaged a whopping 37.5 points per contest
The Bulls score 110.8 points per 100 possessions (14th in the league) on 47.6% shooting from the field (11th) and 38.5% from beyond the arc (8th). However, they’ve been a complete disaster defensively thus far, allowing 115.3 points per 100 possessions (28th) on 47.8% shooting from the field (24th) and 38.6% from downtown (25th).
The Mavs narrowly lost at Milwaukee to snap a four-game win streak
The Dallas Mavericks (6-5; 7-4 ATS) put an end to a four-game win streak this past Friday, suffering a 112-109 defeat at the Milwaukee Bucks. They covered an 8-point spread, so the Mavs are perfect against the spread in their last five outings.
The Mavericks battled bravely against the Bucks, and Luka Doncic led the way with 28 points, nine boards, and 13 assists. He’s averaging 27.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 8.8 dimes on the season, while Tim Hardaway Jr. is adding 18.7 points per contest.
Dallas is 17th in the league in points scored per 100 possessions (109.9), and the Mavs shoot just 45.3% from the field (also 17th). They allow 105.6 points in a return (tied-2nd) 43.9% shooting from the field (3rd) and 31.6% from beyond the 3-point line (1st).
[metabet_core_odds_compare query=”nba/mavericks” size=”300×250″ site_id=”atsio” css=”float:right; margin-left:10px”]Trends:
Chicago:
- 1-3-1 ATS in the last five road games against Dallas
Dallas:
- 5-0 ATS in the last five games overall
- 4-1 ATS in the last five games against Eastern Conference
- 4-1 ATS in the last five tilts against Eastern Conference
The Winner Prediction
The Mavs have missed Jalen Brunson, Josh Richardson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Maxi Kleber, and Dwight Powell over the last ten days, and all these guys are questionable to play Sunday. Anyway, the Mavericks should have enough firepower to outlast the Bulls by seven or more points, as they heavily lean on Luka Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Kristaps Porzingis.
The Bulls’ offense is one of the pleasant surprises of the season, but their defense will have a mountain to climb against the Mavs’ offense driven by Luka Doncic.
Pick: Take Dallas -6.5 at -110
The Total:
The Bulls’ last four games went in the over, and I expect to see more of the same when they square off against the Mavericks. I’ve mentioned the Bulls’ defensive woes, while Chicago plays at the third-fastest pace in the league, averaging 104.6 possessions per 48 minutes.
On the other side, the Mavs surprisingly have one of the best defenses in the league and the under is 4-1 in their last five showings. They average 98.5 possessions per 48 minutes (24th), but I think the Mavericks will have plenty of chances for fast-break points against the Bulls. Therefore, I’m backing the over.
Pick: Go over 226.5 points at -110