On Thursday evening, the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets face off for the third time during the 2022-23 season. The Bulls won the first two matchups, and Chicago will bring a 26-28 overall record into a road game at Barclays Center. Brooklyn is 32-22 overall and 16-10 at home. Seth Curry (adductor) remains out for Brooklyn, with Day'Ron Sharpe (foot) and Yuta Watanabe (back) listed as questionable while Brooklyn's roster is in flux after the team traded away Kevin Durant. DeMar DeRozan (hip) is listed as questionable for Chicago.
Caesars Sportsbook lists Brooklyn as a 1-point favorite, and tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 225.5 in the latest Bulls vs. Nets odds. Before you make any Nets vs. Bulls picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven 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 four-plus seasons. The model enters Week 17 of the 2022-23 NBA season on a stunning 52-28 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Bulls vs. Nets 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 Nets vs. Bulls:
- Bulls vs. Nets spread: Nets -1
- Bulls vs. Nets over/under: 225.5 points
- Bulls vs. Nets money line: Nets -120, Bulls +100
- CHI: The Bulls are 12-13-1 against the spread in road games
- BKN: The Nets are 13-12-1 against the spread in home games
- Bulls vs. Nets picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Bulls can cover
Chicago's defense is playing quite well this season, and Brooklyn projects to be weakened on offense with the absences of Durant and Kyrie Irving. The Bulls hold opponents to only 1.12 points per possession, a top-10 mark in the NBA, and Chicago is excellent at closing possessions on the glass. The Bulls are in the top three in defensive rebound rate (73.9%) with a league-leading mark in second-chance points allowed (11.9 per game).
Brooklyn is the league's worst offensive rebounding team, securing only 22.4% of missed shots, and Chicago is also in the top 10 in 3-point defense, free throw prevention, and fast break points allowed. The Bulls also have stellar marks on offense, including top-five rankings in free throw accuracy (81.2%) and field goal percentage (49.0%). Chicago turns the ball over on only 13.6% of offensive possessions, and Brooklyn ranks in the bottom five of the NBA in defensive rebound rate and free throw prevention.
Why the Nets can cover
Brooklyn is significantly better than the NBA average in both offensive and defensive rating this season. The Nets yield only 1.13 points per possession on defense, and Brooklyn leads the league in 2-point shooting allowed (50.6%) and blocked shots (6.7 per game). The Nets are in the top five of the league in field goal percentage allowed (45.6%), and opponents score only 48.7 points in the paint per game against Brooklyn.
On the offensive side, the Nets are fantastic, scoring 115.4 points per 100 possessions and leading the league in overall shooting efficiency. Brooklyn is in the top three of the NBA in 3-point percentage (39.2%) and field goal percentage (50.6%), and the Nets share the ball well in racking up 26.0 assists per game. With 16.3 fast break points per game, Brooklyn also excels in transition and keeps the pressure on opposing defenses.
How to make Nets vs. Bulls picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, predicting 233 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in over 50% of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Bulls vs. Nets? And which side of the spread hits over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Nets vs. Bulls spread you need to jump on Thursday, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
