Friday NBA Betting Odds & Picks for Bulls vs. Jazz: Utah’s Defense Will Stifle Chicago as Heavy Favorite (April 2)
Jeff Swinger/NBAE via Getty Images. Pictured: Rudy Gobert.
- A new-look Chicago Bulls team is struggling and Friday's matchup with the Utah Jazz isn't what the doctor ordered.
- Chicago has improved its interior offense with Nikola Vučević, but that wasn't the problem the last time these teams met.
Bulls vs. Jazz Odds
Bulls Odds | +12 |
Jazz Odds | -12 |
Moneyline | +500 / -700 |
Over/Under | 225.5 |
Time | Friday, 9 p.m. ET |
TV | League Pass |
Odds as of Friday and via BetMGM |
Still out for their first win since making a splash at the trade deadline, the Chicago Bulls will go from facing a great defense in the Suns to a somehow even better one in the Jazz.
Utah’s perimeter defense suffocated Chicago when these two sides met back a few weeks ago, so is this game going to be as simple as that one, or is there value in taking the points here with a revamped Bulls offense?
Let’s dig into the matchup a bit and find a side to take.
Chicago Bulls
The backslide continues for the Chicago Bulls, who have lost five straight games and three in a row since adding Nikola Vučević at the trade deadline. The Bulls have lost to five stout defenses in Utah, Cleveland, San Antonio, Golden State and Phoenix during their skid, and one of those squads will be in their way again on Friday.
The Jazz abused the Bulls back when they played a couple weeks ago, but Chicago will hope that Vučević gives them a little bit more of a formidable offensive attack this go around. Chicago managed to outrebound Utah and outscore their opponent in the paint 62-50, but a 23.1% shooting clip from 3-point range really did the Bulls in.
Those numbers make it hard to say that Vucevic should solve all their problems, considering they really didn’t lack paint scoring, though to his credit he has shot above 40% from 3-point range this year and takes around six per game. Chicago is hitting just 27.7% of threes over its past four games and unless Vučević wants to jack up 11 triples here, something’s got to give.
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