In what could be a potential look at the NBA Finals, the Chicago Bulls face the Phoenix Suns. After suffering two straight losses, the Bulls really need to get back on the right track. Being able to claim a win over the Phoenix Suns could be exactly what this team needs right now.
Unfortunately, the Suns have been on a roll lately, winning their last three games with ease.
There’s a reason why the Phoenix Suns are at the top of the NBA with the best record. They play incredible team basketball and will be back at home after spending two games on the road.
They’re coming off a 17-point win over the Houston Rockets, the worst team in the NBA. However, the Suns also claimed wins over the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers. See all our NBA computer predictions here.
Game Preview: Chicago Bulls at Phoenix Suns
The Chicago Bulls have looked like a shell of their former selves in recent weeks. These last two games were losses to the Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz. The loss to the Jazz is understandable, but not the loss to the Kings.
Now, they face one of the best offenses in the NBA and will hope their defense holds up. The bad news is their defense is ranked 17th overall.
The Phoenix Suns have the fifth-best offense in the NBA, averaging 114.49 points per game. With an offense this good, they don’t need a strong defense, but they have it.
The Suns’ defense is ranked sixth overall, allowing only 106.27 points per game. As they prepare to host the Bulls, the one player they need to focus on is DeMar DeRozan. They’ll need to stop him.
Against the Spread: Phoenix Suns -6
Although the Chicago Bulls have a strong offense, they’ve been unreliable in recent weeks. Because of this, you shouldn’t trust them to cover the spread at a sportsbook.
The Suns are 29-8 at home, one of the best records in the NBA. When they last played the Bulls, they beat them 127-124. Although they failed to cover the spread, the Suns were also on the road.
The Total: OVER 230
This one is kind of tough because of how good the Phoenix defense is. However, we’d rather take the over here because, in their last three meetings, the total has gone over twice.
Their last meeting, as we mentioned, ended with a score of 127-124, well over the total. With that being said, we think the smarter bet is to take the over, even if it’s rather high.
Win Margin: Phoenix Suns 1-10 (+170)
This is a great bet to add since these teams usually finish games pretty close. However, it still leaves room for you to cover the six-point spread as well. Phoenix only won by three points in their most recent meeting; it’s likely the margin will stay between 1-10 here.
Player Points: DeMar DeRozan OVER 27.5
Although the Suns will likely try to find a way to stop DeMar DeRozan, he’ll still put up points.
DeRozan averages 27.9 points per game, slightly over the line here. His points per game against Phoenix, however, is 38.0. DeRozan performs well against Phoenix, and we suspect a big performance tonight. What do you think of our SGP Predictions?