A key battle between second-year head coach Billy Donovan and the Chicago Bulls and the Charlotte Hornets at home at the United Center on the night of Nov. 29 looms large. This is yet another important matchup for the Bulls against a postseason contender in the Eastern Conference at this point of the regular season.
Donovan and the Bulls are looking to prove a point in the East that they are for real. But losing three of their last four games isn’t a good way to prove that point to other postseason contenders in this conference. This is a chance for the Bulls to right the ship in the face of some adversity for one of only a few times early on this season.
The Bulls are coming off a close 107-104 loss at home at the United Center on Nov. 27 at the hands of star shooting guard/small forward Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat in their last game. That loss to the Heat moved the Bulls’ record to 13-8 on the season.
Meanwhile, the Hornets actually had a similar nightmarish type loss of late. In their last game, the Hornets lost to the Houston Rockets by the final score of 146-143 in overtime. Losing to the Rockets is also something the Bulls suffered from last week.
That loss to the Rockets gives the Hornets a 13-9 record coming into this game on Nov. 29.
Here’s a look into the betting odds and game prediction as the Bulls take on the Hornets at home at the United Center on Nov. 29, with tip-off time set for 7 p.m. CT.
Chicago Bulls vs. Charlotte Hornets betting odds
According to WynnBet, the Bulls are around a five-point favorite just a few hours ahead of tip-off in Chicago over the Hornets. And the over/under is set around 223 points, one of the largest totals of the regular season so far for the Bulls.
The ESPN matchup predictor gives the Bulls a 52 percent chance to beat the Hornets on this night, which is a pretty slim chance compared to the pregame spread.
Chicago Bulls vs. Charlotte Hornets prediction
This will be an interesting battle between the brothers Lonzo Ball and LaMelo Ball as the Bulls get set to take on the Hornets on Nov. 29. Lonzo is off to a good start in his first season with the Bulls as one of the NBA’s premier perimeter defenders and sharpshooting point guards.
If Lonzo is able to get the best of his brother defensively, it could be a long night for LaMelo and the Hornets. Being disruptive on the defensive end will be a key for Lonzo and the Bulls to top a young Hornets team. This is something that the Bulls thrive off of, but not something that LaMelo and the Hornets tend to give up very often.
The Hornets actually rank fourth in the NBA this season in team turnover percentage, just north of 11. They tend to take care of the basketball, but that trend eluded them in their loss to the Rockets a few nights ago.
This game will largely hinge on the Bulls’ ability to get the bench scoring going along with turning the ball over on the Hornets more so than they’re accustomed to this season. Being disruptive on defense and getting decent production out of the reserves will get the Bulls a win over a young and improving Hornets team.