Dec 13, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) moves the ball against Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) during the first half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Spread & over/under predictions: Charlotte Hornets vs. Chicago Bulls

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Ian Black | Last updated Dec 30, 2024 10:18 AM ET

The Hornets (7-24) are back home on Monday, this time hosting Lonzo Ball and the Chicago Bulls (14-18).

Charlotte comes into the matchup in about as rough a spot as any team in the league. Losers of 15 of their last 16 games, the Hornets also look set to be without LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, Cody Martin, and Tre Mann for tonight’s game.

On the other side, the Bulls are coming off a 116-111 win at home against a Giannis and Dame-less Milwaukee Bucks. Zach LaVine, Chicago’s leading scorer at 22.0 PPG, is listed as probable for the matchup with a toe injury.

Here are my picks for tonight's game. Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.

Spread: Bulls -5

3-star play on the Bulls (-5): The last time these two teams met was December 13th when we saw an NBA single-game record 75 missed three-pointers between the two squads. The only player to break 20 points scoring on either side was Brandon Miller with 21 points during the mess of a shootout.

Chicago is a team with a host of issues that have led them to a sub-.500 record on the season, but Charlotte is potentially lacking so much firepower that it may not matter.

Both teams live and die by the deep ball, but Chicago’s 37.5% and health outclass Charlotte’s 34.7% and lack of momentum fairly easily.

The Bulls are not consistent enough of a team to make this as clear-cut of an outcome as it could be with the state of the Hornets, but LaVine, Vucevic, and company should have plenty in the tank to get the job done here more often than not.

Over/Under: 225.5

2-star play on the under: The Bulls have seen the under hit in six of their last eight games overall, and Charlotte has seen the over hit in just 5/16 games as a home underdog this season.

The line is a little lower than expected and streaky shooting of these squads provides a level of variability that makes this a line to normally stay away from. With that said, the number of key contributors on the shelf for the Hornets here may render those points moot anyway.

Confidence in taking the under here directly correlates with confidence in the Bulls' 25th-ranked defensive rating stopping what the Hornets put on the court without their stars.