The Oklahoma City Thunder welcome the Chicago Bulls to Paycom Center on Monday night. Tipoff is set for 8:00 PM ET. Oklahoma City enters at 62-12 and leads the Western Conference. Chicago is 33-41 and tied for ninth place in the East.
This is the second meeting between the teams this season. Oklahoma City won the first matchup 114-95 in Chicago on October 26. The Thunder are 27-1 against Eastern Conference teams this season, one win away from an NBA record for most wins against one conference in a season.
OKC Preview – Thunder Keep Setting Records
Oklahoma City has won nine games in a row. Their five wins since clinching the top seed in the West have come by an average of 19 points. The Thunder have won 48 games this season by double digits and are 32-5 at home.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points in the team’s last win and is averaging over 30 points per game this season. He leads an offense that ranks in the top 6 in scoring (117.4 PPG) and is first in field goal percentage defense (43.5%). Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, and Lu Dort round out a balanced starting lineup with multiple scoring options and strong defenders.
OKC ranks top five in assists, steals, and blocks. They also hit 15.6 threes per game, third most in the league. The Thunder are 49-22-4 against the spread this year and have covered the number in 57 of their last 89 games.
CHI Preview – Bulls Trying to Stay in Play-In Race
Chicago is 4-1 in its last five games and continues to battle for position in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament. The Bulls are coming off a close 120-119 loss to Dallas but had won four straight before that. Chicago is 19-18 on the road and 39-34-1 against the spread overall.
Rookie Matas Buzelis scored 28 points and added 9 rebounds in the loss to Dallas. Nikola Vucevic also added 25 points and 9 boards, while Coby White finished with 25 points and 11 assists. Josh Giddey returns to Oklahoma City for the first time since being traded last offseason in the Alex Caruso deal.
The Bulls average 113.2 points per game and allow 113.6. They rank in the top 10 in field goals made and field goal percentage but are near the bottom in free throw attempts. Chicago has covered the spread in 15 of its last 19 games and has hit the team total over in 50 of 80 games this season.
Betting Prediction
Oklahoma City is a 15.5-point home favorite and the total is set at 239.5. The Thunder won the earlier meeting by 19 and have been dominant at home all year. They are one of the top covering teams in the league and have won their last 14 first halves outright.
Chicago has played better of late but is stepping up in class here. OKC is deep, efficient, and motivated to keep setting records. The projected final score is Oklahoma City 126, Chicago 107. Thunder should win and cover again at home.
Pick: Thunder -15.5
Oklahoma City smokes the Chicago Bulls in this one. Enjoy the game and good luck!
