Bulls vs Suns NBA Prediction, Pick and Preview 03/03/23

Odds

2022-2023 season stats

Preview

The Chicago Bulls will take on the Phoenix Suns on Friday night, after Zach LaVine led the Bulls to a 117-115 win over the Detroit Pistons, scoring 41 points. The Bulls have an 18-13 record at home and rank fourth in the Eastern Conference in defensive rebounds per game, while the Suns have a 13-19 record on the road and rank ninth in the NBA in rebounds per game. The Suns are currently fourth in the Western Conference standings, while the Bulls are in 11th place in the Eastern Conference.

Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns are a force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference, as they have been playing some impressive basketball lately. They come into this game against the Brooklyn Nets after a convincing 105-91 victory over the Charlotte Hornets, where they showed off their stellar defense. The Suns know that they will need to bring that same level of intensity and aggression on the defensive end if they want to secure another win on the road.

The Suns are currently in fourth place in the Western Conference standings, 10 games back from the first-place Denver Nuggets. While they may not be at the top of the standings, they are definitely a team to watch out for, as they have been making strides both on offense and defense. On the offensive end, they are scoring an average of 112.6 points per game, which places them 22nd in the league in terms of points scored per contest. Their team shooting percentage of 46.4% is the 24th-highest in the league. Despite these rankings, the Suns have a solid adjusted offensive rating of 111.4, according to dunksandthrees.com, which is the 21st highest in the NBA.

Devin Booker, one of the NBA's top scorers, has been leading the charge for the Suns on the offensive end, averaging an impressive 26.8 points per game on 47.7% shooting from the floor. The Suns have also shown that they have other players who can contribute on the offensive end, with multiple players capable of hitting from beyond the arc. Their three-point shooting percentage of 37.7% is the seventh-highest in the league, making them a tough team to defend against. The Suns have also been efficient at the free-throw line, shooting 79% and ranking 11th in the league in free-throw shooting percentage.

While the Suns may not have the highest-scoring offense in the league, they make up for it on the defensive end. They are allowing just 110.9 points per game, which is the fourth least amount of points surrendered per game in the league. Opponents are shooting just 46.5% from the floor against them, which is the fifth-lowest shooting percentage allowed in the league. The Suns' defensive efforts have been anchored by Deandre Ayton, who is averaging 1.2 blocks and 9.4 rebounds per game. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Suns have the sixth-lowest adjusted defensive rating in the NBA.

Phoenix has also shown that they can contest shots both inside and outside the paint, forcing their opponents to shoot just 35.7% from beyond the arc, which is the 13th-lowest three-point shooting percentage allowed in the league. Additionally, the Suns have been able to control the glass, averaging 44.3 rebounds per game, which is the ninth most in the NBA.

Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls come into this game with a 29-34 record, sitting in 4th place in the Central Division. They've had a decent record at home, winning 18 of their 32 games played at the United Center. The Bulls have had a better record in Eastern Conference games, where they've managed to win 17 of their 30 games so far.

One area where the Bulls have struggled this season is with turnovers, as they've been averaging 13.1 turnovers per game. However, they've been able to win games when they manage to keep their turnovers down, as they have an 11-3 record in games where they've won the turnover battle.

DeMar DeRozan has been the Bulls' leading scorer this season, averaging an impressive 26.1 points per game, and has been a key player for the team. Zach LaVine has also been playing well for the Bulls, averaging 3.1 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games, showing his ability to stretch the floor and hit shots from long range.

In their last 10 games, the Bulls have managed to win only 3 and have been averaging 117.3 points per game. They've also been able to maintain a solid rebounding average of 42.6 boards per game, along with 22.9 assists, 8.0 steals, and 4.4 blocks per game. The team's shooting accuracy has been impressive as well, with a solid 50.2% accuracy from the field.

While the Bulls have been putting up impressive numbers, their opponents have been able to keep pace, averaging 114.7 points per game in the last 10 matchups. The team will need to step up their defensive effort if they want to come away with a win against a strong Nets team.

Overall, the Bulls have been a competitive team this season, and with the right approach and execution, they have the potential to win games against some of the league's toughest opponents. It remains to be seen whether they can find a way to beat the Nets in this matchup.

BETTING TRENDS

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 7 games.

Phoenix are 13-5 SU in their last 18 games.

Phoenix are 4-2 ATS in their last 6 games against Chicago.

Phoenix are 6-0 SU in their last 6 games against Chicago.

The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Phoenix's last 7 games on the road.

Phoenix are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Chicago.

Chicago are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games.

The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Chicago's last 11 games.

Chicago are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games.

The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 5 games at home.

Chicago are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Phoenix.

Prediction

The Bulls are coming off a win against the Detroit Pistons, with Zach LaVine scoring an impressive 41 points. They have a 18-13 record at home and rank fourth in the Eastern Conference in defensive rebounds per game, with Nikola Vucevic averaging 9.3. DeMar DeRozan is averaging 25 points and 5.1 assists for the team, while LaVine has been averaging 25.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists over the past 10 games.

The Suns and Bulls previously faced each other on December 1, with the Suns winning 132-113. While the Bulls have struggled in their past 10 games, with a record of 3-7 and averaging 103.5 points per game, the Suns have a record of 7-3 and are averaging 111.9 points per game. The Suns also have a higher rebounding average and steal and block rate than the Bulls in their past 10 games.

The Suns are currently favored to win by a 3.5 point spread, and we predict they will not only win but cover the spread. The addition of Kevin Durant has strengthened their already impressive offense, and they have been performing well on defense as well. Meanwhile, the Bulls have struggled in their recent games, and their defensive rebounding may not be enough to stop the Suns' strong offensive and rebounding performance.

PICK: Suns -3.5 (-110)

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