Oklahoma City Thunder at Chicago Bulls Betting Preview/Player Prop

The Chicago Bulls will host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night in an important game in the NBA. Both teams have similar records heading into this game, and that could set up for a very tight game at the United Center in Chicago.

Oklahoma City brings a 17-22 record into this game, and they are not expected to be a playoff team in the Western Conference. The Thunder have won three of their last four games, but they are still in fourth place in the Northwest Division.

Chicago is in second place in the Central Division with a 17-20 record, but they remain just outside the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls have gone just 2-2 in their last four games, and they need to go on a long winning streak to increase their playoff odds.

The Chicago Bulls are 5.5-point favorites over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night.

Thunder Struggling to Score

The Oklahoma City Thunder are scoring just 106.5 points per game, which is one of the worst scoring averages in the league. This franchise no longer has the services of Kevin Durant, James Harden, or Russell Westbrook, and they have struggled to find a new leader.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could become that player from Oklahoma City, but the Thunder are still waiting for him to take over late in games. Gilgeous-Alexander leads the team with 23.7 points and 6.2 assists per game, and he will need to set the tone on Tuesday night.

Oklahoma City is allowing under 112 points per game, and their defense will be extremely important in this game. The Thunder just don’t have the depth or shooting to beat teams by scoring points.

Bulls Want to Run

The Chicago Bulls are playing at a very fast pace this season, and that has allowed them to average over 114 points per game. Chicago has struggled to get stops on the defensive end of the floor, allowing close to 115 points per game.

Guard Zach LaVine was named to the All-Star team this season, and he is doing it all for the Bulls. LaVine is averaging over 28 points per game while also dishing out a team-high 5.1 assists per game.

Chicago has been dealing with a number of injuries, but this team is starting to get some of those players back. The Bulls have the talent to get to the playoffs, but time is running out.

Bulls Silence the Thunder

These two teams played a thrilling game earlier this season, with the Thunder coming back to stun the Bulls. Chicago dominated that matchup for the first three quarters, and the same thing should happen this time around.

The Bulls are trying to make a playoff run in the second half of the season, and they simply can’t afford to lose games in which they are favored. Chicago won’t mess around on Tuesday night, and they will take control of this game early.

The Thunder are a team heading in the wrong direction, and they won’t be able to keep up with a young Bulls squad in this game.

Bet the Chicago Bulls -5.5 over the Oklahoma City Thunder in this NBA matchup on Tuesday night.

Player Prop

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (-120) Over 25.5 Points

Following the departure of Chris Paul in the offseason, the Thunder turned to SGA as the team leader. And the 22-year-old has responded in a big way.

On the season, SGA is averaging 23.7 ppg. And those numbers have gone up during a recent hot stretch. In his last 10, SGA has averaged 27.4 ppg, while going over 30 points in each of his last three.

The last time the Thunder faced the Bulls on Janaury 15, SGA had 33.  Given his increased production in recent performances, that looks to be in line with our projected output tonight.  Take SGA (-120) to go Over 25.5 points against the Bulls.

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