On the road less than 24 hours from now to face a frisky Hawks team, grabbing a win tonight feels like a must for the Bulls (especially when we consider who will be stuck on the bench for the Mavs).
Game Info
Dallas Mavericks (13-12) at Chicago Bulls (10-14) – 7:00 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Chicago and 670 The Score (Radio)
Projected Starters
Chicago Bulls
1. Alex Caruso
2. Zach LaVine
3. DeMar DeRozan
4. Patrick Williams
5. Nikola Vučević
Injury Report: Lonzo Ball OUT (knee), Javonte Green OUT (knee)
Dallas Mavericks
1. Spencer Dinwiddie
2. Reggie Bullock
3. Tim Hardaway Jr.
4. Dorian Finney-Smith
5. Christian Wood
Injury Report: Luka Doncic OUT (quad), Josh Green OUT (elbow), Maxi Kleber OUT (foot)
Odds
The Bulls walk into tonight as -5.5 favorites against the Mavericks at PointsBet Illinois Sportsbook and -5.0 favorites at the FanDuel Illinois Sportsbook. Click on either link to sign up and pick the Bulls to cover (… or pick the opposite …)!
What to Watch For …
With no Luka Doncic on the floor tonight, the Bulls don’t really have any excuses. Don’t get me wrong, Dallas has several strong role players, but Doncic is the fuel to this fire. He has the second-highest usage percentage in the NBA, as the Mavs’ entire offense basically resides on his back. And, unlike last season where Jalen Brunson could take over for the night, Dallas doesn’t really have that obvious No. 2 guy who can set the tone. With that being the case, the Bulls need to come out fast and furious. Put the pressure on this depleted Mavs team from the jump and get the scrubs in early.
Aside from last night’s 6-point dud, Tim Hardaway Jr. has been making it rain as of late. The Mavs’ guard has chucked up an average of 10.3 shots from downtown over the past six games … and he’s shooting an absurd 51.6 percent! Let’s hope the Bulls keep a close eye on him tonight, as well all know how tough of a time they can have keeping up from behind the arc.
The Bulls’ role players completely disappeared in their last outing against the Wizards. Nobody on the team’s normally strong bench finished in double figures and all but Coby White walked off the floor with a negative plus-minus. Let’s hope that can change tonight against this short-handed Mavs team. The great workload they can carry, the more well-rested these starters will be for the game in Atlanta tomorrow night.
More in here …
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