San Antonio Spurs vs. Chicago Bulls Prediction, Preview, and Odds
It’s an interconference tilt on the hardwood between a pair of teams on the wrong side of the playoff cut line as they collide in the Windy City. The San Antonio Spurs are on the road as they make the trip to face the Chicago Bulls Thursday night. San Antonio was beaten 132-119 on the road by Milwaukee in their previous game Tuesday night though they did manage to cover the line as a 16.5-point underdog. Chicago was in action at home against the Lakers Wednesday night in the front half of a back-to-back set. The Bulls downed the 76ers 108-104 on the road in their previous game Monday night, winning outright as a 10.5-point underdog. In the all-time regular season series between the teams, the Spurs own a 59-38 advantage but the Bulls have taken the last two meetings. That includes a 121-112 road win in the first meeting this season on December 8.
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San Antonio Spurs Hoping to Get a Road Win
San Antonio started the year 3-1 but enter this game losers of two straight and 21 of their previous 22 contests after falling to Milwaukee Tuesday night. The Spurs enter this game 4-22 on the season and are in the basement of the Southwest Division, 12 games behind the Mavericks for the top spot. They were last in the Western Conference, 12 games back of the Clippers for the final guaranteed playoff spot and 9.5 games behind the Suns for the final spot in the play-in field. Against Milwaukee, San Antonio found themselves down 21-3 midway through the first quarter and never dug their way out of that hole. The Spurs trailed by 18 after the opening quarter, by 13 at the half and by 22 after three quarters as they went down in defeat. San Antonio shot 47.9% from the field, including nine of 30 from beyond the arc, and turned the ball over 16 times in the loss. Keldon Johnson paced the Spurs with 28 points and 12 rebounds in a losing effort.
For the year, the Spurs are 25 in the league in scoring offense as they average 110.9 points per game on the year. San Antonio is 20 in rebounding by grabbing 43.5 boards a night while they are fourth in the league in assists by handing out 28.9 dimes per contest. The Spurs are 27 in the league in scoring defense as they give up an average of 122.5 points per game. Rookie Victor Wembanyama leads the team with 19 points plus 11 rebounds and three blocks this season. Keldon Johnson is third on the team with 17.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game this season. Devin Vassell (18.2 points), Zach Collins (13 points, six rebounds) and Jeremy Sochan (10.3 points, 5.5 boards, 4.2 assists) are solid secondary scoring options. Tre Jones, Cedi Osman, Doug McDermott, Charles Bassey and Blake Wesley are other rotation pieces for coach Gregg Popovich. San Antonio is 26 in the league in field goal percentage as they shoot 45.4% from the floor on the year. The Spurs are 13 in threes per game as they connect on 12.8 triples a night while they are 27 in three-point percentage by shooting 34.3% from beyond the arc.
Bassey (knee) is done for the year. Wembanyama (ankle) missed Tuesday’s game against the Bucks and is questionable here. Watch for any updates on his status closer to tip-off.
Chicago Bulls Close Back-to-Back Home Set
Chicago was at home against the Lakers Wednesday night so they play their third game in four nights and the second game of a back-to-back situation here. The Bulls entered Wednesday 11-17 on the season and stood fourth in the Central Division, 9.5 games behind the Bucks for the top spot. They were 12 in the Eastern Conference, 4.5 games behind Cleveland for the final guaranteed playoff spot and one game behind the Hawks for the final spot in the play-in tournament. Chicago is 1-4 in the second game of back-to-back situations with a -10-ppg scoring margin (104 ppg for, 114 ppg against) in those games. The Bulls are 7-7 at home with a +0.1-ppg scoring differential (109.5 ppg for, 109.4 ppg against) entering Wednesday. Chicago is 3-6 against Western Conference teams with a -4.7-ppg scoring margin (112 ppg for, 116.7 ppg against) heading into Wednesday’s game against the Lakers.
For the year, Chicago stands 27 in the league in scoring offense with an average of 109.9 points per contest. The Bulls are 22 in rebounding as they collect an average of 42.8 boards a night while they are 29 in assists by handing out an average of 23.7 dimes per contest. Chicago is 13 in scoring defense as they allow an average of 113.3 points per game this season. Zach LaVine is second on the team with 21 points per contest on the year. DeMar DeRozan contributes 22.2 points, 3.6 rebounds plus 5.2 assists a night while Nikola Vucevic (16.7 points, 10.5 rebounds) and Ayo Dosunmu each are valuable options. Alex Caruso, Coby White (17.5 points), Andre Drummond, Torrey Craig, Jevon Carter and Patrick Williams are looked at to provide valuable minutes as well. As a team, Chicago is 28 in the league in field goal percentage as they knock down 44.9% of their shots on the year. The Bulls are 19 in the league by knocking down 12.3 three-pointers per contest while they stand 16 by hitting 36.8% of their attempts from beyond the arc on the year.
Lonzo Ball (knee) has yet to take the floor this season and hasn’t played since January 14, 2022. He has been shut down for the remainder of the season. LaVine (foot) last played on November 28 and is expected to be out until early January. Craig (heel) is slated to be out until late February after being diagnosed with an acute sprain of his plantar fascia.
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Best Bets for this Game
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The Bulls are playing the second game of a back-to-back and their third game in four nights here but they do have the advantage of being at home. LaVine is missing but the Bulls have been better with him out of the mix as White has really stepped up as a solid secondary scoring option alongside DeRozan. San Antonio has struggled mightily on the defensive end of the floor and if Wembanyama doesn’t take the floor again, it will be an uphill climb for the Spurs here. We’ve seen San Antonio struggle after starting the season strong and it’s tough to get behind them, even with the Bulls being fatigued. Take Chicago at home as they have enough to exploit the Spurs’ defensive issues to get the win.
Prediction: Chicago Bulls -4.5
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San Antonio entered Wednesday’s action having gone over the number in 18 of their 26 games this season. The Spurs are 28th in the league in turnovers as they commit an average of 15.8 per contest. San Antonio stands third in the league in tempo as they average 102.4 possessions per game on the year. Chicago entered Wednesday night having seen the over post a 16-11-1 mark in their 28 games on the year. The Bulls are first in the league in turnovers per game with 11.9 per contest. Chicago stands 30th in the league in terms of tempo by averaging 95.5 possessions per game on the year. We saw the first meeting go over the total and with the Spurs leaky defensively, coupled with the Bulls being fatigued, there might be just enough offense to go over the number.
Prediction: Over 229.5
Chris King has been immersed in the world of professional and collegiate sports for more than three decades. Whether it's playing pickup games or being involved in organized sports to being a fan, he's checked all the boxes. From the NFL to arena football, the NHL to the KHL, the NBA to the WNBA to college hoops, and even MLB to the KBO. If it's out there, he's covered it and bet on it as well, as Chris has been an expert bettor in his career. Before joining Winners and Whiners back in 2015, his work appeared around the internet and in print. He's written books for Ruckus Books about college basketball, the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, golf, and the World Cup. If you're looking for the inside track on hitting a winner, do yourself a favor and read what Chris has to say.
