Rockets vs. Bulls best bet: Can Bulls keep win streak alive?

The Chicago Bulls have won three straight games heading into their Monday matchup with the Houston Rockets at United Center.

DeMar DeRozan’s game-winning jumper on Friday night lifted Chicago to a win over the New York Knicks, and the team is starting to turn things around after a brutal start to the 2022-23 season.

With each win, the Bulls are going to silence the critics that think they should blow the team up this season rather than compete for a playoff spot.

Zach LaVine, DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic have all stepped up in a big way on the team’s winning streak.

Now the Bulls take on a Rockets team that has been dreadful on the road this season, going 7-8 against the spread as road underdogs and just 3-13 straight up.

There is a lot of young talent on this Houston team, but the Rockets have yet to put things together so far this season.

Here’s a look at the odds and a pick for this matchup:

Rockets vs. Bulls odds, spread and total

Rockets vs. Bulls prediction and pick

Chicago may not be playing at the level some expected to start this season, but the Bulls are still a better team than the Rockets.

The Bulls rank 21st in the league in net rating to Houston’s 27th, and Chicago has been far better defensively, ranking 17th in defensive rating compared to the Rockets at 28th.

The key for the Bulls will be consistency, as the team has been up and down early in the 2022-23 season, leading to the rumblings about a potential trade.

Houston may have seven wins against the spread as road dogs, but the team is losing those games by over nine points per contest. With this spread at just 7.5, I think it’s an opportunity to jump on a Chicago team that seems to be figuring some things out.

Neither of these teams are super efficient on offense, but the Rockets have been one of the worst road teams in the league because their defense holds them back (allowing a 120.1 defensive rating on the road).

Chicago can win its fourth straight, and cover this spread on Monday night.

Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.