NBA Betting – Bulls Laying a Boatload at San Antonio

Chicago Bulls at San Antonio Spurs (-14.5, 201.5 o/u)

When TNT scheduled this game early in the season, the network brass was probably expecting a battle between two NBA title contenders, but the reality is slightly different.  The mighty San Antonio Spurs (54-10, 30-0 Home) remain a dominant force in the league, but the Chicago Bulls (32-30, 11-19 Away) have fallen on hard times and arrive at the AT&T Center as 14.5-point dogs tonight (8:00 PM Eastern).

The Bulls have taken a step back this season under first-year head coach and former Iowa boss Fred Hoiberg. While injuries are partly to blame, the team simply hasn’t shown the same intensity level – especially on defense – that they did under Tom Thibodeau.

Chicago had been one of the top-five defensive teams in the NBA over the last three seasons, but sit 15th in the league this year, surrendering 102.5 points per game. That shoddy defense finds the team fighting for its playoff life late in the season. Chicago is currently tied with the Pistons for the final playoff berth in the East. They kept pace with Detroit on Monday, downing the Bucks, 100-90, for their second straight win.

Leading scorer Jimmy Butler missed the game due to knee soreness, but the Bulls’ role players were able to step up in his absence, taking some of the pressure off of Derrick Rose (22 points, seven assists) and Pau Gasol (12 points, 13 rebounds); Mike Dunleavy had 18 points while Taj Gibson added 12 and ten boards.

Hoiberg will need those guys to contribute again as Butler will miss his second straight game.

San Antonio comes into tonight’s game with the second-best record in the NBA. They’ve been even better against the spread, posting a league-best 39-25 ATS mark. Unlike the Bulls, most of the credit goes to the defense. The squad is giving up just 92.3 PPG, far and away the fewest in the NBA. (The next closest team is Utah at 97.4 PPG.)

The Spurs had won eight in a row before falling in Indiana on Monday (99-91). But they got right back in the win column on Tuesday with a dominant 116-91 win at youthful Minnesota. LaMarcus Aldridge had a game-high 29 points.

Tim Duncan and Tony Parker both sat out against the T-Wolves but should be back in the lineup tonight.

Laying 14.5 points might seem crazy, but keep in mind the Spurs are 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games as a home favorite of 11.0 or greater. I’d rather roll with the healthier and hotter team, despite the big number. If the spread scares you off, consider betting the under; eight of the last nine between the Spurs and Bulls at the AT&T Center have stayed under the total.

Pick: Spurs (-14.5); under (201.5).

(Photo credit: Mike (flickr) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons. Photo has been cropped.)