Two hapless teams take on each other Tuesday night, as the Chicago Bulls visit the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena, so I bring you the best betting pick for this Eastern Conference showdown along with the latest odds update on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Both Chicago and Washington are 0-3 on the young season and will be keen to snap the skid. Therefore, we should see an exciting game, although a couple of bad teams will take the floor.
The Bulls blew a huge opportunity to beat the Dubs
The Chicago Bulls are coming off a 129-128 home loss to the Golden State Warriors this past Sunday. They were leading for most of the second half, but the Bulls’ defense fell apart down the stretch, allowing 12 points in the final three minutes.
With 1.7 seconds left on the clock, Damion Lee hit a 3-pointer to lift his team over the Bulls. Zach LaVine led the way for Chicago, finishing with 33 points and seven rebounds, but he had just three assists while turning the ball over seven times.
The Bulls continue to play lousy offense, scoring just 103.3 points per 100 possessions (25th in the league) on 43.2% shooting from the field (27th). They allow 115.6 points in a return (23rd) on 49.5% shooting (28th).
The Wizards failed to cope with the Magic twice in two days
After a 113-107 defeat at the Philadelphia 76ers in the opener, the Washington Wizards have suffered two straight home losses to the Orlando Magic, 130-120 and 120-113. They missed Russell Westbrook on Sunday, but the nine-time All-Star should be available Tuesday.
Bradley Beal ran the Wizards’ offense in Russell’s absence, scoring 29 points in that 120-133 defeat. However, the Wizards shot just 25.0% from beyond the arc and blew a 17-point lead from the end of the third quarter.
Washington is scoring 107.2 points per 100 possessions (19th) while surrendering 114.5 in a return (22nd). The Wizards have defended the 3-point line well through their first three outings of the season, but they need to do a much better job offensively if they want to join the playoff race this season.
[metabet_core_odds_compare query=”nba/wizards” size=”300×250″ site_id=”atsio” css=”float:right; margin-left:10px”]Trends:
Chicago:
- 5-1 ATS in the last six matchups with Washington
- 13-6 ATS in the last 19 games played in December
Washington:
- 3-8 ATS in the last 11 games overall
- 1-6 ATS in the last seven home games against Chicago
- 1-4 ATS in the last five encounters with Central Division
The Winner Prediction
Both teams will be fired up to make amends and tally their first win of the season, so I expect to see a tight contest down the stretch. Therefore, I’m buying a couple of points and taking the Bulls as 7.5-point underdogs.
I would be surprised if somebody gets this one easily. Both teams have so many defensive issues, so the Bulls should have enough weapons to keep it close.
Pick: Take Chicago +7.5 at -150
The Total:
The over is 13-7 in Chicago’s last 20 games overall, and it is 4-2 in Washington’s previous six outings. Also, five of the last seven encounters between the Bulls and Wizards went in the over, so I’m following the betting trends.
The previous two games between Chicago and Washington produced 240 and 243 points in total. Both teams have played at a furious pace so far, averaging more than 105 possessions per 48 minutes. If they shoot the ball well and continue to play poor defense, this will be a proper high-scoring clash.
Pick: Go over 233.5 points at -110