Bulls, Nets Ready to Exchange Buckets in Chi-Town

Adding Kyrie Irving has given the Brooklyn Nets a much-needed offensive shot in the arm – but it hasn't helped mend a shoddy defense as the Nets look to tighten things up Saturday evening against host Chicago. The Nets enter the first of four regular-season meetings with the Bulls having surrendered an eye-popping 119.5 points per game.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

Chicago opened as a slim favorite, but can actually be had at +1 in some spots. The total opened at 231.5.

Brooklyn Nets News & Notes

Irving has been exactly as advertised in his first season in Brooklyn, entering the weekend averaging 28.5 points and 7.2 assists while boasting a PER of 26.58. And he'll be counted on to provide even more of the offense, with shooting guard Caris LeVert expected to miss the next six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair ligament damage in his right thumb.

But Irving can't do it all himself – especially on the defensive end, where the Nets have looked as awful as ever. Featured on Brooklyn's defensive resume: surrendering a whopping 138 points to the Phoenix Suns and 134 to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Nets have held just three teams below 115 points this season, while surrendering 125+ points on four occasions.

Chicago Bulls News & Notes

Consistency will likely be elusive for a retooling Bulls team not expected to make waves this season. But while Chicago has yet to record consecutive victories so far in 2019-20, it has fashioned a nice 4-1 ATS streak over its past five games – including blowout wins over the Hawks and Knicks – after Sportsbook the season with just two covers in its first seven games.

But if you're looking for a straight value play from this game, consider the Bulls on the first-half spread. While they entered Thursday's game in Milwaukee as one of the worst first-half teams in the league (52.4 ppg), they hung 66 on the host Bucks to carry a slim halftime lead. It's a bit of a longshot play given Brooklyn's potent first-half offense, but it could be worth a shot.

Betting Pick: OVER 230

The Bulls' offense might be hit-or-miss at the moment, but it should hit in a big way against a Brooklyn defense that has looked quite shoddy for most of the season. Even facing a gigantic total, we like these teams to soar past it.