The Chicago Bulls are back in action tonight following their 129-123 overtime win over a strong Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday. They head to FedEx Forum to take on a Memphis Grizzlies team that has lost its last six straight matchups.
Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. ET tonight for the interconference battle. The Bulls are currently 9th in the Eastern Conference standings, and have a record of 24-27. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies occupy 13th-place in the Western Conference with a poor 18-33 record.
Chicago enter the game as 6-point favorites (-110 with Points Bet), and they are -225 on the moneyline to secure back-to-back victories. The Grizzlies are +185 underdogs on the moneyline, with the game total set at O/U 216.5. Be sure to check out our full game breakdown before we share our best bet with you below.
Last Time Out
Forward DeMar DeRozan was the savior on Tuesday night for Chicago as his 33 points aided the Bulls to an impressive win over the 2nd-seeded Timberwolves. Despite going behind by 23 points in the third quarter, the Bulls regrouped to lock up the triumph with DeRozan scoring 10 points in OT. Coby White also put in a top display, recording 33 points himself.
The Grizzlies have been banged up all season, and that has largely contributed to their shoddy performances. The New York Knicks piled on the misery on Tuesday, capturing a comfortable 123-113 win. That made it six games without a win for Memphis.
Injuries
Chicago has four players that are questionable for tonight’s game. Guards White and Alex Caruso, and forwards Dalen Terry and Torrey Craig remain day-to-day. However, White, Caruso and Terry are listed as probable. Guard Zach LaVine will remain sidelined until the end of the season. Lonzo Ball and Patrick Williams will also remain out.
Although the Bulls are dealing with their fair share of injury problems, the Grizzlies’ roster has been ransacked with their own issues. 10 Memphis players were inactive for their last matchup, with the likes of Victor Oladipo, Desmond Bane, Jake LaRavia, Brandon Clarke, Ja Morant and Marcus Smart all missing out.
They will all sit out once again in this one, whilst Derrick Rose and Jaren Jackson Jr. are also questionable. Ziaire Williams is doubtful too, so the injury issues are only getting worse for Taylor Jenkins’ side. Xavier Tillman has just been traded to the Boston Celtics as well, with the Grizzlies acquiring draft picks and forward Lamar Stevens.
Head-to-Head
The Bulls and the Grizzlies have met just once this season, and the former picked up a 125-96 win on their own court. However, Memphis has in fact won their last three consecutive home matches up against Chicago, last losing in 2019.
Betting Trends & Stats
It will be a battle between two poor offenses at FedEx Forum. The hosts are averaging the lowest points per game across the league (107.0), whilst the Bulls rank 25th for ppg (111.4). However, Chicago are allowing the 11th-least ppg in the NBA (112.8), with the Grizzlies following closely behind in 13th (113.3).
Ranking just above average against the spread this season (12th across the NBA), Chicago have an ATS record of 26-24-1, covering in 52% of their total games. That percentage slightly drops when they are on the road (50%), but they are 5-2-0 as away favorites, meaning they have covered 71.4% of the time.
As for the Grizzlies, their ATS record sits at 24-27-0, covering 47.1% of the time. They have struggled to cover the spread on their own court (8-15-0), and they are 6-9-0 as home underdogs. Their overall point differential of -6.2 is the 25th-worst in the league.
Key Players
DeRozan will be looking to carry on in his excellent form of late for the visitors, and he is the team’s leading points scorer this season (22.3 ppg). He also leads the team in average assists (5.3). Center Nikola Vucevic ranks 11th across the league in terms of rebounds (10.5) so he will also play an important role.
Ranking inside the top 20 in terms of ppg, Bane (24.4 ppg) will be a great loss for Memphis here. With Jackson Jr. questionable as well, it looks set to be tough for the Grizzlies to score points tonight since he averages 22.1 ppg. Point guard Ja Morant (26.2 ppg for 2022/23) will be another massive absentee. Guard Vince Williams Jr. will be looking to build upon his 19 points last time out against the Knicks.
Best Bet
The injury issues that have depleted the Grizzlies roster is only getting worse, making it extremely difficult to see any way they can find a win here. The Bulls have a few issues themselves, but nowhere near the same extent as their opponents.
Chicago is coming off an impressive victory against the Timberwolves, and they have also won their last two back-to-back on the road. With them only needing to cover a single digit spread, we can find good value in the Bulls -6 tonight.
Chicago Bulls -6 (-110 with Points Bet)