The Chicago Bulls (31-50) and Dallas Mavericks (25-56) will meet in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. The game will broadcast live on CHSN.
The Mavericks are 6.5-point favorites over the Bulls on the spread (Mavericks -6.5), with the over/under set at 246.5 total points. Dallas is a -275 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Chicago is +225 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Bulls vs. Mavericks predictions and NBA picks for Sunday, April 12.
Bulls vs Mavericks Prediction, Pick
- Bulls vs Mavericks pick: Bulls +6.5 (-110)
My Mavericks vs Bulls best bet is on Chicago to cover the spread. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Bulls vs Mavericks Odds
| Bulls Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -110 | 246.5 -110o / -110u | +225 |
| Mavericks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -110 | 246.5 -110o / -110u | -275 |
Bulls vs Mavericks NBA Preview
The Bulls head to the American Airlines Center this Sunday for a final regular-season matchup against the Mavericks. With both teams officially eliminated from postseason contention, the market focus has shifted toward which squad will simply show up.
While neither team has been a world-beater lately — both sporting identical 2-8 records over their last 10 games — the betting value has landed squarely on the visiting side. We are taking the Bulls +6.5, a play generated by our Bet Labs system: "Visitor Recent Dogs – Losing Streak."
This specific system identifies a profitable edge when road underdogs are mired in a skid, both straight up and against the spread (ATS).
The logic is rooted in market overcorrection. When a team has been a consistent underdog and failed to cover over a short stretch, the betting public often treats them as a lost cause. This results in lines that fail to reflect the small margins separating non-playoff NBA teams.
This applies directly to today's matchup because of the lack of stakes. With both the Bulls and Mavericks sitting at 2-8 in their last 10, no side has either momentum nor motivation. However, the Mavericks are tasked with laying a substantial 6.5 points despite their own inability to string together wins.
In a battle between two teams looking toward the lottery, the value lies in fading the home favorite and taking the points with the underdog.
Bulls vs Mavericks Predictions, Betting Analysis
The Bulls fit this system profile perfectly; they have struggled to find consistency and have been undervalued by oddsmakers as public sentiment sours. However, the data suggests this 6.5-point line is an overreaction.
Chicago actually dominated the most recent meeting between these two, a 125-107 victory back in January, and they have covered in three of their last five matchups against Dallas.
Our PRO projections also favor the Bulls against the spread with a B grade, and the number of bets and percentage of money show increasing support for Chicago heading into today's tipoff.
Despite their recent struggles, Chicago has shown flashes of resilience, and with both teams trending downward, the system highlights the gap created by the inflated number for a Mavericks team that hasn't proven it can reliably cover large spreads as favorites during this late-season slump.
Pick: Bulls +6.5 (-110, BetMGM)
Spread
Our Bulls vs. Mavericks betting prediction is on Chicago to cover the spread.
Moneyline
We have no play on the moneyline.
Over/Under
We're not interested in the total for this game.
