The Brooklyn Nets and the Chicago Bulls will break the deadlock in their first-round NBA betting series on Thursday night when those Eastern Conference clubs hit the hardwood once again.
The Bulls tied up the best-of-seven set at 1-1 with a 90-82 upset win as a 5.5-point underdog on the NBA betting lines in Game 2 of the series on Monday night. Luol Deng led the way with 15 points and 10 rebounds in that victory for the Bulls.
Chicago will face the 49-33 Nets, who own a 39-41-2 ATS mark on the season. (Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news). In totals betting, the Bulls are 37-45 favoring the UNDER so far this season while the Nets are 41-41 favoring the OVER.
View Brooklyn vs Chicago Odds and Stats.
Betting Line:
The Bulls were listed as 4-point favorites at sportsbooks tracked by Odds Shark (including Sportsbook), with the total was listed at 181 over at Sportsbook earlier.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
According to new Power Rankings at Odds Shark, it's the No. 13-rated Bulls and the No. 12-rated Nets in this matchup. Predictive computer formulas point to a 96-95 win for the Nets on Thursday.
How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Chicago's No. 29-ranked offense (93.2 PPG) against a Nets defense that ranks No. 6 at 95.1 PPG. The Bulls have averaged 43.7% from the field per game, less than the Nets have managed so far this season (45% on average).
Defensively, the Nets feature the league's No. 5-rated defense on the road, giving up 95.2 points per game. Chicago, meanwhile, comes in at No. 30 in the league in scoring at home.
Last time out for Chicago, they were a 90-82 Sportsbook as they battled the Nets on the road. The Bulls covered in the match as a 5.5-point underdog, while 172 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors. The Bulls grabbed a 90-82 win over the Nets on Monday, behind a 15-point effort from Luol Deng at Barclays Center.
Brooklyn Nets Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 3-7
Before playing Chicago are 5-5
After playing Chicago are 3-7
After a loss are 8-2
Chicago Bulls Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
Before playing Brooklyn are 8-2
After playing Brooklyn are 6-4
After a win are 4-6
A few Nets at Bulls trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Brooklyn's last 12 games on the road
Brooklyn is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Brooklyn's last 21 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Brooklyn's last 7 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Chicago is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
Chicago is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Brooklyn
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games at home
Chicago is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing Brooklyn
Next up:
Brooklyn at Chicago, Saturday, April 27
Chicago home to Brooklyn, Saturday, April 27
