The Chicago Bulls will try to keep their two-game winning streak alive on Wednesday night when they play the Charlotte Hornets. The Bulls have played better basketball lately, grabbing wins over the New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks.
They did this without Zach LaVine, which is an impressive feat, who is out with a foot injury. Chicago will lean on DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic to carry them against a Hornets squad missing LaMelo Ball, who is one of the more exciting players in the NBA.
Chicago opened as a 3.5-point home favorite over Charlotte, but the line has moved to 4.5 points ahead of tip-off.
Here are the odds and our best bet for Charlotte-Chicago:
If you want to bet on tonight's game, check out DraftKings Sportsbook, where users can get $150 instantly in bonus bets and a no sweat single game parlay every day this season when they bet $5.
Hornets vs. Bulls odds, spread and total
Hornets vs. Bulls how to watch
- Date: Wednesday, Dec. 6
- Game Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
- Venue: United Center
- How to Watch (TV): NBC Sports Chicago, Bally Sports SE-CHA
- Hornets Record: 6-12
- Bulls Record: 7-14
Hornets vs. Bulls injury reports
Charlotte Hornets injury report
- LaMelo Ball – out
- Cody Martin – out
- Frank Ntilikina – out
- Mark Williams – questionable
Chicago Bulls injury report
- Alex Caruso – probable
- Torrey Craig – questionable
- Zach LaVine – out
Hornets vs. Bulls key players to watch
Charlotte Hornets
Terry Rozier: With Ball sidelined for the foreseeable future, Charlotte will need Rozier to put up shots but get others involved. Last weekend against Minnesota, the veteran two-guard had 23 points, seven assists, and six rebounds in 35 minutes. It was a solid all-around performance from Rozier, who took 20-plus shots for the second straight game. The Hornets will look for Rozier to stay on the attack tonight in the Windy City.
Chicago Bulls
DeMar DeRozan: Just like the Hornets, the Bulls are missing a key member in LaVine due to injury. However, Chicago has one of the best mid-range scorers in the NBA in DeRozan. The 34-year-old small forward played excellent in the Bulls’ six-point win over the Pelicans. He had 24 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds. The last time DeRozan had 10 assists in a game was last season against the Lakers. He’s also averaging 21.5 points, 4.9 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game this season.
Hornets vs. Bulls prediction and pick
Even though both teams have been mildly disappointing this season, they still have time to turn their respective seasons around. Chicago is riding a two-game win streak with two excellent wins over the Bucks and Pelicans.
Coincidentally, both teams are in the semifinals of the NBA’s In-Season Tournament. The Bulls don’t have a spectacular offense (107.7 ppg/28th in the NBA) despite having a solid trio of vets like DeRozan, LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic. However, the offense might be able to get back on track against the Hornets, who have the worst DRTG in the league (121.7).
Charlotte hasn’t fared well on the road over their last three games, allowing 124.3 points per game. That’s not a recipe for success at any level of basketball. Therefore, I’ll lay the points with the Bulls despite them being 2-5 against the spread as a home favorite this season.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.