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Bulls vs. Nets NBA expert prediction and odds for Friday, March 29 (Take the under)

NBA betting preview, prediction and best bet for Bulls vs. Nets. 

By Shelby Dermer

Mar 27, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) defends Chicago guard Demar DeRozan.
Mar 27, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) defends Chicago guard Demar DeRozan. / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
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Using its suffocating defense, the Chicago Bulls ended a three-game losing streak with a dominating 125-99 home victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

Chicago, firmly in the NBA Play-In Tournament as the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference, open a brief two-game road swing Friday night as a small favorite at Barclays Center against the Brooklyn Nets.

The Nets had lost six consecutive contests and eight of nine overall but have been on the smiling side of the scoreboard in back-to-back games after taking out Toronto and Washington on the road.

With a step up in class with the Bulls, can the Nets win three-straight games for the first time since December?

Here’s the betting breakdown of the matchup with a best bet. 

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Bulls vs. Nets odds, spread and total

Bulls vs. Nets how to watch

  • Date: Friday, March 29 
  • Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
  • Venue: Barclays Center
  • How to watch (TV): Bally Sports
  • Bulls record: 35-38
  • Nets record: 28-45 

Bulls vs. Nets injury report

Chicago Bulls

  • Ayo Dosunmu (illness): probable
  • Alex Caruso (ankle): probable

Brooklyn Nets

  • Noah Clowney (back): probable
  • Cameron Johnson (toe): out
  • Dennis Smith Jr. (hip): questionable 

Bulls vs. Nets key players to watch

Chicago Bulls

DeMar DeRozan: DeRozan may have not been able to crack the NBA’s All-Star game for a third consecutive season, but he’s put on a string of stellar scoring displays, scoring 27-plus points in four of the last five games. In that stretch, DeRozan is shooting 44-of-91 from the field. 

Brooklyn Nets

Nic Claxton: The 6-foot-11 center and former second-round pick is fourth in the NBA in field goal percentage at 63.4% this season while being a top-10 rebounder. In March, the Georgia product is averaging a double-double per game at 13.3 points and 10.1 rebounds a night. 

Bulls vs. Nets prediction and pick

These two teams have changed a lot since they last met in November. Over the first month of the season, Brooklyn beat Chicago twice, last pulling away from the Bulls for a 118-109 victory at Barclays Center to improve to 8-8. 

Chicago has been good for backers on the road this season (19-16 ATS) and it might seem like you're getting the favored Bulls at a discount after Brooklyn captured back-to-back games.

However, the Nets’ defense has been stingy this season as the No. 8 defense against shot attempts from inside the arc. Brooklyn is susceptible from beyond the arc, but Chicago is below-average in perimeter shooting, as well. 

Brooklyn, No. 14 in scoring defense, can be run out of the gym by teams that play fast. That’s not the strength of the Bulls, which plays at the No. 28 pace in the NBA. Chicago’s defense limits opposing offenses at the rim (No. 1 in the NBA in points in the paint) and the offense’s pace and ball security limits opponents’ opportunities in transition.

Look for a slow game, defensive-dominated game between these two clubs. Take the under. 

Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.

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