Wizards @ Bulls Game Preview and Pick

Two teams that are 3-7 in their last 10 games square off tonight in Chicago. We’ll go over the game and a best bet for the action.

Game Preview

The Chicago Bulls have lost three straight games and over their last 10 games, this team has a NET rating of -5.6. Chicago is 25th in offensive rating in that span but even beyond their last 10 games, this team has struggled all season on both ends of the floor. Injuries and a lack of bench production have made this season difficult for Chicago to get any kind of consistency going.

Chicago’s bench unit ranks 26th in the league in offensive rating and has a NET rating of -2.6. The lack of production from this second unit has led to the Bulls being 17th in points per game, relying primarily on Demar Derozan and Zach Lavine to carry the offense.

One of the only strengths this Bulls team has had up to this point is defensive rebounding. Chicago is first in the league in defensive rebounding percentage and allows an average of just 8.8 offensive rebounds per game.

Despite also being 3-7 over their last 10 games, the Wizards are 10th in the NBA in offensive rating in that span. Washington has been able to produce solid shooting numbers all season, entering tonight with a 47.1% shooting percentage which is 12th in the league.

The Wizards will be without Bradley Beal tonight as he has been dealing with a hamstring issue, so Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis will be forced to take on even bigger roles on the offensive end. Both of them have been scoring at a high level as of late so this Washington offense should not see too much of a production drop-off without Beal in the lineup.

Pick for the Game

The Wizards can be found as +6 point underdogs tonight and they are my best bet for this one. I think this number is a bit too high in favor of Chicago, even without Beal playing this Bulls team has not shown anything lately that should make them favored by six in this one. Washington has a better NET rating over the last 10 games and offensively they should be able to score on this Bulls team that is 22nd in defensive rating over that span.

Defensively the Wizards have done a good job limiting transition and fastbreak points, which is a statistical category the Bulls rank 12th in the league in. Washington is holding opponents to an effective field goal percentage of 52.4% which is fifth in the NBA. With the way the Bulls have struggled to shoot this season this Wizards defense could pose a tough match-up.

Overall I just think the Bulls are being overvalued here especially since they have played similarly to this Wizards team. Both teams may be struggling but I like Washington to keep it close tonight.