The San Antonio Spurs (22-35) visit United Center to take on the Chicago Bulls (36-21) Monday. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Spurs vs. Bulls odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
The Bulls continue are in the midst of a five-game homestand. They took down the Timberwolves 134-122 Friday and the Thunder 106-101 Saturday. They failed to cover as 9.5-point favorites in the 5-point victory over Oklahoma City.
The Bulls have covered 6 of their last 10 and are 33-23-1 against the spread (ATS) on the season.
They sit 2nd in the Eastern Conference behind their dominant offense which ranks 1st in field-goal percentage. The Spurs sit 6th in field-goal percentage, so they’re among the better shooting teams as well.
As for San Antonio, it has won 2 straight on the road, both as an underdog. The Spurs beat the Hawks 136-121 Friday as 8.5-point underdogs and defeated the Pelicans 124-114 Saturday as 6.5-point dogs. The Spurs are 6-4 ATS over their last 10 and 30-27 ATS on the season.
Spurs at Bulls odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:47 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Spurs +140 (bet $100 to win $140) | Bulls -175 (bet $175 to win $100)
- Against the spread: Spurs +3.5 (-105) | Bulls -3.5 (-120)
- Over/Under (O/U): 233.5 (O: -115 | U: -107)
PLAY: Free, daily sports pick’em contests. Play now!
Spurs at Bulls key injuries
Spurs
- None
Bulls
- PG Lonzo Ball (knee) out
- SG Alex Caruso (wrist) out
- SF Javonte Green (foot) questionable
- SF Derrick Jones Jr. (finger) probable
- SG Zach LaVine (knee) out
Deposit $10 or more, get $100 in instant bet credits at Tipico Sportsbook! New customer offer in CO and NJ. 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. Place your legal, online sports bets at Tipico. Let’s make this interesting. Bet now!
Spurs at Bulls odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Bulls 121, Spurs 115
Money line
PASS.
The Bulls (-175) are too expensive for my liking. Also, the Spurs beat the Bulls 131-122 in Texas the last time these two teams met (Jan. 28). San Antonio (+140) is the only playable side. Chicago is 21-8 at home.
I’d pass on betting either way here.
Against the spread
BET BULLS -3.5 (-120).
The Bulls have been the 5th-best covering team in the NBA. They are the best home-covering team in the league, going 19-10 ATS at United Center.
The Bulls will be able to limit the Spurs’ edges in this one Monday night.
San Antonio ranks 9th in offensive rebounding rate, whereas the Bulls sit 7th in defensive rebounding rate. The Bulls rank second in true-shooting rate, and the Spurs rank 20th in opponents’ field-goal rate.
Considering these and the Bulls’ dominance at home, I’ll take them to cover in this spot.
Over/Under
LEAN to the OVER 233.5 (-115).
This matchup went Over 250 last time these two teams met. I expect a similar result.
The Bulls rank 4th in offensive rating, and the Spurs rank 15th with both teams significantly worse defensively. The Spurs also rank 5th in pace and 2nd in field-goal attempts.
The Bulls are 31-25-1 O/U, while the Spurs are 29-26-2 O/U. So, it’s been profitable to back the Over for both teams.
Given the offensive firepower on both teams and the Bulls down their two best defensive guards (Ball and Caruso), I’d side with the Over in this one.
Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, Sportsbook Wire’s official sportsbook partner in CO, NJ and, soon, IA. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow @nathanbeighle_ on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Additional NBA sports coverage:
HoopsHype | Celtics Wire | LeBron Wire | Lonzo Wire | Nets Wire | Rockets Wire | Sixers Wire | Thunder Wire | Warriors Wire | Rookie Wire | List Wire
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]