Chicago Bulls at Charlotte Hornets Betting Pick

The Eastern Conference playoff race is still wide open as teams fight to the finish in the last few games. The Charlotte Hornets host the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night, and this game is a must-win for each team.

Chicago comes into this game with a record of 26-39, and they are desperately trying to get back into the Top 10 in the East. The Bulls have now lost four straight games, but they could be getting healthy just in time for a late-season push. 

Charlotte comes into this game with a 32-33 record, but that is good enough for eighth place in the East. The Hornets have gone just 2-3 in the last five games and need to turn things around in a hurry.

The Bulls are 3.5-point favorites on the road Thursday night. Tipoff is at 7:00 P.M. Eastern.

LaVine Ready to Return

Zach LaVine is expected to return to the Bulls lineup on Thursday night, and it could not come at a better time for Chicago. LaVine leads the team with 27.5 points and 5.1 assists per game, and the Bulls have struggled to find offense in his absence.

All-Star center Nikola Vucevic has also been out of the lineup, but the Bulls need his interior scoring back as well. Chicago is averaging nearly 111 points per game, but they have not scored more than 98 points in any game during this losing streak.

The biggest problem for the Bulls has been on the defensive end of the floor, as they are giving up 113.7 points per game. Even if Chicago gets a big night from its two stars, they will still have to be better on the defensive end.

Hornets Need Some Offense

The Hornets are scoring less than 110 points per game this season, and they are going to have to score some points to keep up with the Bulls. It doesn’t help that Charlotte could be without some players on Thursday night, including Miles Bridges.

Terry Rozier is scoring more than 20 points per game to lead this team, and he has stepped up his play without Gordon Hayward. Rookie LaMelo Ball has been a pivotal piece to the offense as well, and he will need to play well on Thursday. 

Charlotte has played well on the defensive end of the floor in recent games, but they are still giving up 113 points per night. The Hornets can’t outscore the Bulls, so they must keep this game close with their defense. 

Chicago Cruises to Win

The return of LaVine will provide a considerable boost to the Bulls' offense, and it should be the spark that is needed. This Bulls team still has some issues on the defensive end of the floor, but they can shoot the lights out with their star on the court.

Charlotte has been a solid team this season, but they don’t have the offense to keep up with some of the top teams. The Hornets are also coming into this game without some top players, which will have a negative effect.

This game should be close for three quarters, but the Bulls eventually pull away. Bet the Chicago Bulls -3.5 over the Charlotte Hornets in this Eastern Conference showdown. 

DUNKEL PICK: Chicago Bulls (-3.5).

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