On Wednesday evening, the Chicago Bulls (6-1) will head east to take on the Philadelphia 76ers (5-2) at Wells Fargo Center. The tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Bulls at 76ers odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
The new-look Bulls are tied with the Miami Heat for the best record in the Eastern Conference. Behind SG Zach LaVine and newcomers DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball, the Bulls have become a formidable side on both sides of the court.
They’ll be taking on an injury-riddled Sixers, a franchise dealing with on- and off-court issues. Three-time All-Star PG Ben Simmons has yet to play, and this will be a game in which his absence is felt.
SF Tobias Harris and former NBA Champion and starting SG Danny Green will be sidelined, forcing the team to rely heavily on MVP candidate Joel Embiid.
Bulls at 76ers odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:35 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Bulls +110 (bet $100 to win $110) | 76ers -135 (bet $135 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Bulls +2.5 (-115) | 76ers -2.5 (-107)
- Over/Under (O/U): 215.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Bulls at 76ers key injuries
Bulls
- PF Patrick Williams (wrist) out
76ers
- PF Tobias Harris (health and safety protocol) out
- SG Danny Green (hamstring) out
- PG Ben Simmons (personal) out
Bulls at 76ers odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Bulls 108, 76ers 104
Money line
BET on the BULLS (+110) as the best value in this game. The Bulls are red-hot, and they’re doing it on both sides of the court. Ball and SG Alex Caruso are immensely underrated and thrive defensively.
With LaVine and C Nikola Vucevic able to get a bucket when necessary, the Bulls should be able to hang with the Sixers. Also, I don’t think the sportsbooks are fully quantifying what Harris means to the Sixers.
He’s averaging 19.8 points per game, and his absence will force Embiid to get more touches. Embiid already doesn’t seem 100 percent despite not being on the injury report (he has been on the injury report for the last few games).
They’ll have to heavily rely upon SF Furkan Korkmaz and Seth Curry, two players that could easily go cold against an elite defensive backcourt.
The Bulls rank seventh in offensive rating and fifth in defensive rating, a perfect combination to combat the Sixers who have the highest offensive rating and are missing key pieces on both sides of the ball.
Against the spread
PASS on the spread as I’d rather take the Bulls outright in the plus-money territory. With only 2.5 points separating the two sides, the money line, either way, presents better value.
Over/Under
“LEAN” to the OVER 215.5 (-110) as both sides of elite offenses.
The Sixers may be missing Harris and Green, the latter of which is more important defensively, but they’ll replace them with another sharpshooter and defensive specialist. Add in how hot Curry has been lately, and the Sixers should still find a way to score.
We know what the Bulls are capable of. Chicago scores all over the court and is top-eight in turnover rate and true shooting percentage.
Despite both teams playing slower, they should be able to get going, and without Harris, the Sixers may actually look to push the pace more often.
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