The Charlotte Hornets and the Chicago Bulls face off on Friday evening at the United Center. Chicago is 45-35 overall and 27-13 at home this season. Charlotte (41-39) is 20-20 on the road and coming off a quick turnaround after a home game on Thursday. The Hornets have ruled Gordon Hayward (foot) out of this one. Lonzo Ball (knee) and Matt Thomas (leg) are out for Chicago. Zach LaVine (knee) is probable for the Bulls, with Alex Caruso (back) listed as questionable.The Bulls occupy the No. 6 spot in the East, two games clear of the play-in. Charlotte has locked in a postseason spot but currently sits in 10th, which would make it the last team in.
Caesars Sportsbook lists Chicago as a 2.5-point home favorite for this 8 p.m. ET tipoff. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over-under, is 234.5 in the latest Hornets vs. Bulls odds. Before locking in any Bulls vs. Hornets picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model enters Week 25 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 84-54 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning over $2,400. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Bulls vs. Hornets, and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Hornets vs. Bulls:
- Hornets vs. Bulls spread: Bulls -2.5
- Hornets vs. Bulls over-under: 234.5 points
- Hornets vs. Bulls money line: Bulls -140, Hornets +120
- CHA: The Hornets are 3-11 against the spread with no rest
- CHI: The Bulls are 25-15 against the spread in home games
Why the Hornets can cover
Charlotte is facing a Chicago defense that is scuffling. The Bulls rank in the bottom third of the NBA in defensive rating, giving up 112.8 points per 100 possessions. Chicago is in the bottom five of the league in 3-point defense, and the Bulls force only 13.1 turnovers per game. Charlotte's offense is also electric, scoring 1.13 points per possession.
The Hornets are in the top five of the NBA in fast-break points, averaging more than 15 per game, and Charlotte is also elite, scoring more than 50 points in the paint per contest. Charlotte is tremendous as a passing team, averaging 27 assists per game, and the Hornets average more than two assists for every turnover while generating an assist on more than 65 percent of field goals. The Hornets are also a top-10 team in 3-point accuracy, and Charlotte is difficult to defend when deploying smaller, faster units.
Why the Bulls can cover
Chicago projects to have the best player on the floor in DeMar DeRozan. DeRozan was an All-Star starter this season, and the veteran is averaging 28.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists. He is connecting on 50.4 percent of field-goal attempts, and DeRozan's clutch performance has been elite throughout the 2021-22 campaign. He leads a tremendous offensive team, with the Bulls scoring 112.4 points per 100 possessions. Chicago is in the top five of the NBA in turnover avoidance, committing only 12.7 giveaways per game, and the Bulls produce 1.88 assists for every turnover.
The Bulls put pressure on the opposition with 12.7 fast-break points per game, and Chicago is in the top five of the NBA in field-goal percentage (47.9 percent), 3-point percentage (36.6 percent) and free-throw percentage (81.1 percent). The Bulls are also facing a Hornets team that ranks last in the league second-chance points allowed, and Charlotte is No. 24 or worse in total rebound rate, defensive rebound rate, fast-break points allowed and assists allowed.
How to make Hornets vs. Bulls picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting 239 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Bulls vs. Hornets? And which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
