The Bulls will hit the floor running against the visiting Houston Rockets on Monday, looking to bolster their record and bolster wagering bankrolls in the process.

The Bulls bring a 42-12 record (31-22-1 ATS) to the battle against the 28-25 Rockets, who are 27-25-1 ATS. OVER/UNDER bettors have seen Chicago go 28-26 so far and the Rockets go 24-29.



View Houston vs Chicago Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Chicago opened as 8-point favorites, while the NBA total was set at 187 for those who prefer OVER/UNDER betting.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Bulls sit at No. 1 in the current NBA Power Rankings here at Odds Shark, while the Rockets are at No. 17 on that chart. Math models have concluded that the Bulls will win this game 104-96.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Chicago's No. 14-ranked offense (96.9 PPG) against a Rockets defense that ranks No. 20 at 97.5 PPG. The Bulls have averaged 45.5% from the field per game, more than the Rockets have managed so far this season (45.3% on average).

Defensively, the Rockets feature the league's No. 24-rated defense on the road, allowing 100.8 points per game. Chicago, meanwhile, comes in at No. 20 in the league in scoring at home.

Houston lost its last outing, a 104-102 result against the Pacers on April 1. The Rockets failed to cover in that game as a 3.5-point favorite, while the 206 combined points took the game OVER the total. Houston got 22 points from Goran Dragic but lost anyway 104-102 against the Pacers on Sunday at Toyota Center.

Last time out for Chicago, they were a 92-78 loser as they battled the Thunder on the road. The Bulls failed to cover in the match as a 6-point underdog, while 170 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. Chicago suffered a 92-78 loss against Oklahoma City on Sunday, getting 19 points from John Lucas in a losing effort at Chesapeake Energy Arena.


Houston Rockets Trends:
When playing on Monday are 5-5
Before playing LA Lakers are 3-7
After playing Indiana are 9-1
After a loss are 5-5

Chicago Bulls Trends:
When playing on Monday are 7-3
Before playing Boston are 7-3
After playing Oklahoma City are 5-5
After a loss are 10-0

A few Rockets at Bulls trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Houston's last 14 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 7 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Houston's last 17 games
Houston is 2-8-1 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
Chicago is 17-4 SU in its last 21 games
Chicago is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Chicago's last 14 games when playing Houston


Next up:
Houston at LA Lakers, Friday, April 6
Chicago home to Boston, Thursday, April 5