Basketball Tip & Prediction for Chicago Bulls vs Brooklyn Nets
A hot NBA tip this evening is less about the outcome of the top game between the Chicago Bulls and the Brooklyn Nets, and more about the individual performance of superstar Zach LaVine.
The strong guard is hitting from all angles – no matter if the Bulls win or not! Tonight in particular, he has a golden opportunity to break the 26-point mark again!
The Chicago Bulls have assembled a highly competitive squad compared to last year with the trade of one or two capable players, such as DeMar DeRozan from the Spurs, who are expected to make the playoffs this time around.
In this respect, the NBA start looks quite promising with a record of (6-3), but at the latest since the two losses in the double header against the Sixers, we know that it might not quite be enough for the big shot.
And the Brooklyn Nets, who are not treated as the top favourites for the NBA title by providers such as Bet365 for nothing, could also prove to be a tad too strong when viewed as a whole tonight.
But even though I see the Bulls trailing by a narrow margin at worst, there is a lot to suggest that Chicago will increasingly try to get points via by far their best and most efficient player on the road: Zach LaVine.
Therefore, I trust him to score at least 25.5 points in my Bulls Nets forecast. A value that the guard has surpassed in each of his last four appearances – even in the unsuccessful doubleheader against the game-high Sixers.
LaVine has thus proven he can successfully compete with even the best defences in the league. Also, let’s not forget that the visitors will still not have Kyrie Irving, one of the NBA’s best point guards, on the roster due to his vaccination issues.
In addition, Zach LaVine will most likely be played more often, which should make his task of breaking the 26-point mark, which I imposed on him, easier. The reason for this is his teammate Nikola Vucevic’s lack of success at the basket.
But one thing first: Vucevic is a mainstay in the Bulls’ game, because with 10.8 rebounds per game he is their best player in this category. Furthermore, with an average of 4.6 screen assists, the centre is currently one of the NBA’s best providers.
However, his own scoring might be one reason why they lost the games against the Sixers – especially the second game. Vucevic only sank five of his 16 throws and thus proved to be not efficient enough in his finishing.
Vucevic’s lack of accuracy could lead to LaVine becoming more of an offensive focal point, as while Vucevic only converts 38% of his FG, LaVine’s success rate on throws is 47.2%.
The Bulls have mostly been able to sell themselves well in games against the Nets. But the reason why I don’t quite trust them to win has not only to do with the fact that they have lost five of the last six head-to-head duels against Brooklyn.
In fact, the New Yorkers have played themselves into a frenzy at the moment, winning their fifth game in a row against the Raptors at the weekend. Still, expect Chicago to at least match that tonight.
The Bulls are going in as the razor-thin favourites with both established and new bookmakers with odds of around 1.80, but even if it’s a 50-50 proposition odds-wise, I’d still give the visitors a bit more credit for success.
As we have already discussed, the direct comparison as well as Brooklyn’s current winning streak point more in the direction of another Nets success – also because with odds of around 2.02, this seems a little more profitable than a win bet on the Bulls.
Nevertheless, in my Bulls Nets prediction, I primarily assume that Zach LaVine – regardless of the score – will be one of the winners of the evening!
Conclusion: The Nets have played themselves into a frenzy and have once again proven they can be successful without Kryie Irving. In fact, I see them narrowly ahead tonight as well, even with the Bulls fighting it out to the end.
But my focus is on Zach LaVine, who should crack the 26-point mark again in his fourth straight appearance. After all, the talented guard surpassed that mark even in the doubleheader against the beastly Sixers.
Furthermore, LaVine should be looked for more often by his teammates now that centre Vucevic excels at everything except converting points. Most likely, the number of completions of the number 8, who is accurate with a FG rate of 47.2%, will increase significantly.
