Chicago Bulls at Washington Wizards Betting Preview
Tuesday night will feature an Eastern Conference battle as the Chicago Bulls (43-32) square off with the Washington Wizards (32-42). The Wizards will host this one at the Capital One Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 pm ET.
Bulls have been reeling as of late, losing six of their last ten, including a 109-104 loss to the Knicks on Monday night.
In the loss, DeMar DeRozan had a game-high 37 points, but it wasn’t enough to take down New York. Nikola Vucevic added a double-double in the win with 16 points and 13 rebounds.
After beating the Warriors at home 123-115 on Sunday, Washington enjoyed the day off on Monday.
In the win over Golden State, Corey Kispert had a team-high 25 points while Kristaps Porzingis and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope combined for 45 points.
The Bulls are slight favorites despite playing on the road. They are -146 to win while the Wizards’ moneyline sits at +124. The spread features Washington +3 (-110), and the over/under for total points is 223.5.
By The Numbers
Chicago has the better of the two offenses this year. They rank 11th in scoring, averaging 111.6 points per game (108.8 on the road). Washington ranks 22nd, averaging 108.3 points (111.9 at home).
Defensively, the Bulls again have a slight edge. They rank 16th in scoring defense allowing opponents an average of 111.2 points per game. The Wizards rank 18th allowing 111.5 points.
Bulls Trying To Maintain Playoff Standings
With the Bulls’ recent struggles, they now find themselves in fifth place in the East and in jeopardy of sliding down even more. They are tied with the Raptors in the standings and just a game ahead of the Cavaliers.
While the Bulls hold the tiebreaker with both teams, they could quickly find themselves in a position where they would have to play in a play-in game if they aren’t careful.
Trying to help avoid that scenario is DeMar DeRozan, who has been their most productive offensive weapon to date. He is averaging 27.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and five assists per game.
Zach LaVine has also been sensational, averaging 24.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in 61 games. As he has dealt with an injured knee, he has occasionally sat out during back-to-backs, but it appears that he should be a go on Tuesday.
The other big threat offensively for the Bulls is Nikola Vucevic. He is actually averaging a double-double this season with 18 points and 11.3 rebounds.
Washington Trying To Make It Three In A Row
At just 32-42, it has obviously been a disappointing season for the Wizards. Still, on Tuesday, they will try to keep their current 19-18 home record above .500 and win their third in a row against the Bulls.
With Bradley Beal out for the season (wrist) and Kyle Kuzma (knee) out Tuesday, the offense will turn to Kristaps Porzingis to help lead them.
Acquired at the deadline from Dallas, he is averaging 21.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 11 games with the Wizards.
Other major contributors include Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (12.7 points, 3.4 rebounds), Rui Hachimura (10.1 points, 3.4 rebounds), and Daniel Gafford (9.1 points, 5.7 rebounds).
Another player who has come on as of late is Corey Kispert. In 14 games in March, he is averaging 12.1 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.
Take Washington And The Points
On paper, the Bulls have the superior team, but they certainly have not been playing like it. Chicago has certainly been dealing with their fair share of injuries, and they are still without Lonzo Ball for the foreseeable future, but they are just struggling to close out teams as of late.
Not only has their offense been a bit more inconsistent as of late, but their defense is allowing 115.3 points per game over their last three games. For a Washington team that has been playing well as of late, they may be able to take down a Chicago team at home, especially since it will be the Bulls’ second game in as many days.
Chicago still has the talent to win this, but right now, there is a lot of value in taking Washington and the points.
Take Washington +3.
