Fresh off of an embarrassing loss on Tuesday night, the Denver Nuggets will host the struggling Chicago Bulls. The Nuggets were not competitive in a 30 point loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, but are still having a terrific season. Chicago is in the middle of a long West Coast road trip, and appear to be ready to head home.
The Nuggets have won eight of their previous eleven games, and have the second best record in the Western Conference. Denver enters this game with a record of 29-14 and is in complete control of the Northwest division. Chicago has gone the opposite way and come into this game having lost eight straight games. The Nuggets are a 12.5 point favorite over the Bulls in this game.
Bulls Are Full On Tanking
The Chicago Bulls were not expected to be a playoff contender this season, but no one thought they would be this bad. Fred Hoiberg was fired earlier in the season, and the Bulls have been even worse for head coach Jim Boylen. The Bulls are the worst offensive team in the NBA, averaging just 100.9 points per game, and they don’t put forth much of an effort on most nights. Chicago has won just one more game than the Cleveland Cavaliers, but look determined to get the top overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Injuries have plagued the Bulls all season long, and they are missing several of their key players. Point guard Zach LaVine leads the team with 23.2 points per game and looks like the clear future for the Bulls. Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr. give the Bulls a solid 1-2 punch of big guys, but they are still trying to prove they belong in the NBA. The Bulls need to bring in a lot more talent if they hope to contend in coming years.
Nuggets Still Need Scoring
If the Nuggets are going to be a real contender to win the Western Conference, they are going to have to find more scoring. The Nuggets are averaging just 110.4 points per game this season, which is below league average. Center Nikola Jokic leads the team in nearly every offensive category including a team-high 19.7 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. “The Joker” needs help from his teammates on that end of the floor.
Despite a poor showing on Tuesday night, the Nuggets are still one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. Denver is allowing just over 106 points per game on the season but got lit up for over 140 against the Warriors. The defense helps to cover up for an offense that is struggling, but Denver needs to find more consistency on both ends of the floor.
Denver Blows Out Bad Bulls Team
Playing the Bulls is the perfect recipe for a Nuggets team looking for a solid bounce-back game. Chicago has not been competitive on their current road trip, and lack the roster needed to compete with top NBA teams. Denver still has plenty of things to correct on the offensive end of the floor, but they will blow out the Bulls in this game. Bet the Denver Nuggets -12.5 over the Chicago Bulls.
