The 1-0 Chicago Bulls look to build off of their season opening win in Miami as they head to Washington for a battle with the 1-0 Wizards.
The Chicago Bulls opened the season on Wednesday night with an upset win in Miami as 7.5 point underdogs, led by 37 points from Demar Derozan. Despite the victory, the Chicago Bulls find themselves, at the time of writing, as underdogs once again on the road in Washington.
If you missed the NBA action on Wednesday, the Wizards opened the season with a 114-107 victory on the road in Indiana as three point favorites, led by a combined 45 points from Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma. it remains to be seen if the Bulls will remain as betting underdogs by tip-off, but with Zach LaVine ruled out, the oddsmakers are making a bit of a statement by listing a Wizards team with a 35.5 season win total over/under, favorites over a Chicago Bulls team currently with an over/under of 42.5 wins.
I am going to stay away from the spread or money line on tonight’s game for the best bet, but you better believe we’ll be seeing an immense amount of red as we watch the Bulls look to move to 2-0 on the young season. Best of luck, and Go Bulls!!
2022 Bulls 1 Best Bet Record: (1-0)
Nikola Vucevic Over 18.5 Points (Sportsbook odds may vary)
After a gorgeous 15 point, 17 rebound performance in Miami on Wednesday, we are heading to Vooch’s point total tonight against the Wizards in DC. Taking Vucevic props is a very selective process that is incredibly matchup based, and in tonight’s case I think he has a favorable one against Kristaps Porzingis and company.
Dating back to both Vucevic’s days in Orlando, and Porzingis’ days in Dallas, Nikola has had some very solid performances in the all facets of the game when facing Porzingis’ teams, but point production has been especially bright. Of course, these guys won’t be matched up against each other for the entirety of the contest, but the playing style of both leads to a lot of spacing and a lot scoring opportunities for both players, not just Vucevic. In the last five meetings between the two players, Vooch is averaging a crisp 24.0 per game, including a 27 point outing near the end of last year in the only matchup between the two in their current uniforms.
With Zach LaVine absent for the second consecutive game, you would expect the volume of opportunities to be high for Vucevic, who of course will only be second in scoring opportunities only to Demar Derozan. There is also the potential, if the Wizards choose to put extra pressure on Derozan, that Vucevic becomes the lead option throughout moments in this game.
I also like the potential for a shooting bounceback from the big man tonight. On Wednesday, despite the solid output, Vucevic shot a measly 1-5 from 3-point range, well below his career average, and well below his numbers from the preseason. In four preseason games, Vooch shot 7-14 from behind the arc. If he can find any success from behind the 3-point line, this prop will become a lot easier for us to get to the window.
To close things out, I will be staying away from betting on the Bulls tonight, as Friday nights in the NBA can be big trap spots for the general public, and our Bulls are heavily bet, especially around our parts. Listing them as an underdog against a Wizards team that isn’t garnering a ton of respect is concerning to me, but the Bulls have defied those indicators in the past, and with a big night from Vucevic could prove me wrong and move the Bulls to 2-0.
No matter what happens tonight, you will see me again with another best bet for Saturday’s home opener against Cleveland! Let’s see some red tonight and Go Bulls!
UPDATE: Chicago Bulls rule out Zach LaVine for Friday’s game vs. Washington Wizards
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