Phoenix Suns at Chicago Bulls Betting Odds


Opening Line: Suns -3.5 / Bulls +3.5 O/U 217.5

Time: 8 PM EST Tuesday March 30, 2010 on WCIU

Tonight in the Windy City the Chicago Bulls host the Phoenix Suns. The Bulls have won 2 in a row to get back in the playoff picture after losing 10 straight a couple weeks back. The Suns are hot, no pun intended, as they have won 7 in a row, which is their longest win streak of the season.

The Bulls are in the 9th position in the East, but they only trail 8th place Toronto by 1 game. There is a logjam in the middle of the West, as Phoenix is tied for Denver in the 4th position and each trail 3rd place Utah by 1 game and 2nd place Dallas by 1.5 games.

This season the Bulls are 21-15 at home and 37-34-2 ATS and the Suns are 18-17 on the road and 40-32-1 ATS.

In their last game both teams won, as the Bulls beat the Detroit Pistons 110-103 and the Suns beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 111-105.

This game is a match up of a couple teams that could not be more contrasting, as the Suns are the highest scoring team in the league, but only 28th in opponents' points allowed while the Bulls only rank 23rd in scoring, but a decent 14th in opponents' points allowed.

The Bulls have won 3 straight games over the Suns.

In their 7-game win streak the Suns' offense has simply been on fire shooting 52.0% from the field, 42.4% from 3-point range, and have been winning by an average of 16 points.

Derrick Rose (20.2 ppg) has killed the Suns in their 3-game winning streak against them averaging 25.3 ppg on 68.6% shooting.

Steve Nash (16.6 ppg 11.1 assists per game) should play in this game, but he does have an injured back and he has played poorly against the Bulls averaging 9.7 ppg and 7.3 assists per game in 3 meetings, while averaging 5 turnovers.

Both teams are decent on the boards, as each has a rebounding differential in the positive, but each is dealing with injuries in their frontcourt. Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson have been playing through plantar fasciitis, but each should play tonight while Suns' C Robin Lopez is out for 2 weeks with a back injury.

If the Bulls can slow the pace of the game and control the boards they will win, but if the Suns can make this a run and gun game and shoot the rock well they will win.

Betting Trends

Phoenix is 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 games, 8-3 ATS in their last 11 road games, 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 games as a favorite, and has an Over record of 4-1 in their last 5 games.

Chicago is 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games, 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games as an underdog, and has an Under record of 4-0 in their last 4 home games.

In 7 of the last 8 games between these 2 teams in Chicago the total has gone Under.

Our Selection : Take Phoenix -3.5 points.


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