Pinnacle +118  BET365 +110 SportsInteraction +117 BetOnline +113

Posted at 12:00 PM EST. 

CHICAGO +118 over Brooklyn

2:00 PM EST. While we are fully aware of who is and isn’t dressing for this contest, this number still might be the biggest head scratcher on the board today, as these two teams are going in totally opposite directions. When you consider each side's market perception, it's even more mind boggling. However, let’s put aside the price for a moment and have a look at what the market is going to see when they look at this game.

First, you have the lowly Bulls, who haven't been relevant since the day Jerry Krause dusted the doughnut power off his tie and decided to break up arguably the greatest dynasty this league has ever seen. RIP, Jerry. Fast forward a couple of decades and here we find the Bulls, mired in a freefall that saw them drop a 113-106 decision to the Jazz on Friday night. While there is no shame in losing to Utah, it was Chicago's sixth loss in a row. The small margin of error in which the Bulls were playing with when it came to the playoff picture is all but gone. During this run of losses, the Bulls dropped three games by double digits to the Warriors, Spurs and Jazz, who got the shit ball rolling for Chicago back on March 22. While the results have not been favorable, it is not as if the Bulls are playing bad ball, at least not every night. Chicago hung around with both Utah and Phoenix in recent efforts as a big pooch and covered those games.

The Bulls had 58 points in the paint through three quarters at Utah the other night, with no fear of Rudy Gobert. It was a good workout in advance of this game, in which Brooklyn’s interior defense, patched together on the fly after several trades, will be tested. Chicago has yet to win (0-4 straight up) since acquiring Nikola Vucevic from the Magic but they are off 5-and 7-point losses at on-fire Western Conference clubs Phoenix and Utah, despite playing without Zach Lavine (at Phoenix), and Garrett Temple (at Utah).

The Nets have caught fire with four straight wins. It's not just that they're winning but how they are winning that will catch the market's eye. Double-digit wins over the Hornets and Rockets in their last two games are going to make this number look really soft, even if James Harden will be out of action today. That drubbing of Charlotte might look impressive, but that lopsided result had much to do with the hometown Hornets, who could not buy a basket, shooting just under 35%.

No team is going to tell you when they are going to take a night off. However, the Nets do this frequently. With Kevin Durant still injured and a game with the Knicks in New York tomorrow night, the Nets will rest Harden in this matinee. There was a time, not too long ago in fact, where the resting of either Durant or Kyrie Irving would have us looking to the Nets, as those roster moves would often leave them undervalued. The Nets used to have a deep bench that was loaded with guys that can score, but they traded many of them away for Harden. This is the very definition of a three-man team, of which 2/3rd’s will not sniff the court today.

How excited do you think Irving is to take on the Bulls by himself? That's not to say he can't put this team on his back, but this situation doesn't really call for that. This game has "letdown spot" written all over it. A good push from the Bulls should be more than enough to send us to the pay window.

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