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Surging Nets visit Bulls

Chicago Looks to End Two-Game Skid vs Harden, Brooklyn

· Nov 08 - 4 minutes read

The Brooklyn Nets will go for their sixth straight win as they visit the Chicago Bulls, who are coming off back-to-back losses against Philadelphia. And yet, Brooklyn is the underdog per their NBA betting odds. This will be Brooklyn’s (7-3) first game as an underdog since their season opener against Milwaukee.

Chicago (6-3) opened the season with four straight wins but has since dropped three of its last five games. The new-look Bulls have been a two-way force and they have a prime opportunity to further establish themselves as a force by beating the Eastern Conference favorites to win the NBA title.

Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets drives on Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors — Cole Burston/Getty Images/AFP

Team	Point Spread	Moneyline	Total	Team Total
Brooklyn	+1 -110		216½ -110o
Chicago	-1 -110		216½ -110u

Nets: Die Hard(en)

Though his scoring numbers are still nowhere near what most would expect out of him, James Harden has been balling during the Nets’ winning streak. The former MVP is nearly averaging a triple-double in his last five games and has started shooting the rock better, as evidenced by his big game against Toronto, dropping 28 points.

James Harden last 5 games:

20.8 PPG
8.4 RPG
9.8 APG
5-0 record

45.3% FG
46.3% 3P
66.2% TS

He’s slowly coming back 👀 pic.twitter.com/rXozMg0G8i

— arxn (@arxanii) November 7, 2021

The Nets’ success depends a lot on the 32-year-old Harden, who will continue to be relied upon with Kyrie Irving’s absence. Behind Harden, the Nets have been fortunate to have Patty Mills playing at a high level. The Australian scored 13 points against Toronto and has sometimes picked up the slack for Joe Harris, who has also had some shooting slumps.

Kevin Durant leads Brooklyn in scoring at 28.6 points per game. If the Nets can get more consistent contributions from their guards, the team will be profitable to bet online. Brooklyn is 7-3 but only 5-5 against the spread (ATS). Their defense has improved. Now the offense can start catching up.

Bulls: Changing of the Guards

Chicago needs a bounce-back win in a bad way as the team was handled in consecutive games by the Sixers. Chicago’s three-point shooting was stifled as the team hit just 26 percent from deep while allowing 46.3 percent against Philadelphia. This is uncharacteristic of Chicago, a team that is a top-10 defense.

Maybe a game against the Nets, coming off a testy game against Toronto on Sunday, is what the Bulls’ doctor ordered. Chicago is 3-2 against the spread at home but have a chance to exploit a potentially tired Nets team.

Chicago’s guard-heavy rotations will be a match against Brooklyn. DeMar DeRozan is having himself a phenomenal season, leading the Bulls in scoring with 26.8 points while with a 503/421/871 shooting split. The Bulls are for real and they just need this one marquee win to cement themselves in the online sports betting realm.

Betting Pick

Chicago has a great chance to geto right through the Nets. Brooklyn went just 8-7 on the second game of a back-to-back last season. The Bulls’ guards are younger and more athletic than Brooklyn’s, making it tougher for the Nets to match up depth-wise.

However, Chicago will need an All-Star performance from center Nikola Vucevic. The big man will need to dominate on the inside to help open the floor for the Bulls’ sharpshooters. Chicago is averaging the fewest three-pointers in the NBA, but if it can hit them at its 36.1 percent average, it will go a long way in toppling the Nets.

Pick: Chicago Bulls -1

Bonus Pick

This one will be a low-scoring affair and it seems a bit obvious as far as our NBA free picks are concerned. The total has gone under in 10 of Chicago’s last 13 home games while Brooklyn has been one of the most reliable teams to go under, with eight of their 10 games going below the line.