Friday NBA Odds, Pick, Prediction: Chicago Bulls vs. Golden State Warriors Betting Preview

Bulls vs. Warriors Odds

The game of the night features the best two teams in their respective conferences, the Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls. The Warriors, without Klay Thompson and James Wiseman, are off to a blazing 10-1 start, while the Bulls' new-look roster is impressing everyone with their 8-3 start. This should be a phenomenal watch on ESPN tonight.

The Bulls will be without starting center Nikola Vucevic tonight and the Warriors may be without Draymond Green, but this matchup will feature a plethora of very talented guards who know how to score the rock.

Let's dive in and see what the best bet on the board is for this fantastic showdown.

No Vucevic, No Problem?

Chicago Bulls general manager Marc Eversley has to be smiling from ear to ear. The moves he has made over the past two years are looking very good right about now. The Bulls are tied for the best record in the Eastern conference and rank sixth in the league in both Offensive and Defensive Rating.

Vucevic will be out for an extended period of time after testing positive for Covid-19. Tony Bradley will serve as the primary center for tonight with Alize Johnson likely getting minutes as well. Both have yet to play over 15 minutes so far this season and neither will close this game out as that job will go to Alex Caruso who has been awesome this year.

The Bulls are 3-1 on the road this season and have covered in three of those four games. On the season, they have covered in eight of their 11 games with the under hitting in six of those games. As underdogs this season, the Bulls have covered in three of four games with the under hitting in three games.

DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine as a duo lead the league in points per game — DeRozan is averaging 26.0 points per game, while LaVine is averaging 25.9 points per game. DeRozan leads the Bulls in usage rate with 30.4%, while LaVine is right behind him with 29.9%. The next closest who is playing tonight is Lonzo Ball with 17.3%. This team is a two-headed monster.

I don't feel the loss of Vucevic will be that significant in this matchup. Of course losing out on a walking double-double who averages 13.6 points per game and 10.9 rebounds per game isn't ideal, but the Warriors don't have a big that causes concern. They start Kevon Looney, but he only plays 16.7 minutes per game. James Wiseman still isn't back from injury and the Warriors love playing small ball anyways. I think this game sets up great for the Bulls tonight.

Will Draymond Green Suit Up?

The Warriors have been arguably more impressive than the Bulls this season. They have the highest Net Rating, lead the league in Defensive Rating and rank third in Offensive Rating. Their lone loss was in overtime at home against the Memphis Grizzlies.

The only game the Warriors were underdogs was in their season opening victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. They have been favored in 10 straight games and have covered in seven of those 10. The under has also hit in seven of those games. In their home games the under has hit in five of their eight games.

The big news for the Warriors tonight is the status of Green. He left their last game due to injury and is questionable to play tonight. Green really is the glue that holds this team together. He leads the team in rebounds, assists, and blocks this season. Where they really take a hit is on the defensive end. Without Green in nine games last season, the Warriors allowed 109.1 points per game and had a Defensive Rating nearly 10 points worse per 100.

Despite ranking in the top five in Pace this season, it is surprising how they have consistently hit the under in their games so far. Stephen Curry is averaging a career-low 38.5% from 3-point range certainly doesn't help the over. Granted, Curry can get scorching hot whenever he wants as he proved two nights ago when he went for a season-high 50 points and nine 3-pointers.

It will be interesting to see which team plays more to its strengths in this matchup. Obviously having Curry helps, but the Warriors lead the league in 3-pointers made with 15.7 per game. The Bulls have allowed the least 3-pointers attempted with 27.3 per game.

Their defense is designed to make their opponents drive the lane. However, Curry's range is whenever he steps foot in a gym, so it will be very interesting to see how this one plays out.

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Bulls-Warriors Pick

I love the matchup the Bulls get in this spot and I think they have more to prove tonight. The line for the Warriors being a 5.5-point favorite seems to suggest that Green is playing, but we'll have to wait and see.

Whether Green suits up tonight will be key, so make sure to monitor the news at our FantasyLabs news dashboard. My best guess is he sits tonight since this is a non-conference game early in the season and the Warriors are off to a great start. (They are also incredibly deep.)

Vucevic leads the Bulls in Assist to Turnover Ratio and with him out of the lineup, this game will hinge on whether the Bulls steady guards can out-duel Curry and the Warriors.

I believe there is value in getting in on this number early with the Bulls +5.5. I also would honestly recommend putting a sprinkle on the Bulls moneyline, which is best offered at +198 at FanDuel.

Pick: Chicago +5.5