NBA Odds: Bulls-Nuggets prediction, pick, how to watch

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08 March 2023

NBA Odds: Bulls-Nuggets prediction, pick, how to watch

The Chicago Bulls (29-36) visit the Denver Nuggets (46-19) on Wednesday night! Action tips off at 9:10 p.m. ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Bulls-Nuggets prediction, pick, and how to watch.

Chicago has lost two straight and sits in 11th place in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls covered 48% of their games while 57% went under the projected point total. Denver has won four in a row and sits comfortably in first place in the Western Conference. The Nuggets covered 56% of their games while 51% went over. This will be the second and final meeting between the cross-conference foes. Denver won and covered with ease in the first matchup, 126-103.

Here are the Bulls-Nuggets NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel

NBA Odds: Bulls-Nuggets Odds

Chicago Bulls: +9 (-110)

Denver Nuggets: -9 (-110)

Over: 225.5 (-110)

Under: 225.5 (-110)

How To Watch Bulls vs. Nuggets

TV: NBCS Chicago, Altitude

Stream: NBA League Pass

Time: 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT

*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why The Bulls Could Cover The Spread

Chicago finds themselves battling for their playoff lives as the season hits the final stretch. The Bulls sit two games back of the final play-in spot and now have to visit the best team in the Western Conference. While they may be hard-pressed to win outright tonight, they have a good chance to cover a hefty spread thanks to their improved defense. Chicago allows just 112.7 PPG – the 12th-best mark in the league. Their ability to slow things down and get physical on the defensive end could be critical in their hopes of slowing down Denver’s high-powered offense. On the other end, Chicago can struggle to score due to a lack of perimeter shooting but they do have a number of strong isolation scorers who could expose a vulnerable Denver defense.

The bulk of that aforementioned isolation scoring comes from Chicago’s pair of talented wings. DeMar DeRozan leads the team with 25.1 PPG and 5.1 APG in addition to pulling down 4.5 RPG. While DeMar doesn’t shoot a ton of threes, he is incredibly efficient inside the arc thanks to his 51% field goal percentage. He’s at his best attacking the basket and drawing fouls as DeRozan attempts 7.3 free throw attempts per game. While the Nuggets did hold him to just 16 points in the first meeting, DeMar is coming off pair of strong performances and should continue to find some considerable success tonight.

Alongside DeRozan, Zach LaVine is having yet another strong year. The 27-year-old averages 24.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 4.0 APG. He is far and away Chicago’s most dangerous outside threat as LaVine shoots 38% from three and makes 2.8 per game. LaVine has been red-hot coming into tonight as he has a pair of 40-point games in his last three outings. Considering his strong play of late and Denver’s lack of perimeter defenders, expect LaVine to output another strong scoring night.

Why The Nuggets Could Cover The Spread

Denver has been one of the two best teams all season and they now find themselves up 7.5 games in the Western Conference. That is largely thanks to their elite offense as the Nuggets average 117.2 PPG – the fifth-highest mark in the NBA. Denver does a great job pushing the pace and getting easy looks inside as they rank fourth in fast break scoring and fifth in points in the paint. Perhaps their best attribute on offense is their passing. The Nuggets average 29.3 APG – the second-highest mark in the league. Additionally, Denver has been incredible at home this season. Coupled with their stellar 30-4 record, the Nuggets have also covered 22 of 34 home matchups.

Denver is led by MVP-favorite Nikola Jokic. Jokic had one of the easiest games of his career the last time these teams met. While he was “limited” to just eight points, Jokic did not miss a shot and racked up 14 assists in just 28 minutes of action. While Chicago may keep things closer tonight and force a more extended workload from the Joker, that can only mean good things for Denver. With triple-doubles in three of his last four games, Chicago has little to no hope of slowing down the two-time reigning MVP.

The X-factor for Denver tonight is wing Michael Porter Jr. MPJ had one of his best games of the season the last time these teams met when he scored 31 points on 11/16 shooting. Additionally, Porter has been red-hot in recent games, averaging 23 PPG and 7.0 RPG across his last four appearances.