Denver Nuggets at Chicago Bulls
Monday, 3/26/12, 8:00 PM EST, TV: NBATV
Opening Point Spread: Chicago -8
Current Betting Line: Chicago -8
Opening Total: 199
Current Total: 199
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Denver has opened up its current seven-game road trip with two double-digit losses, including a 117-100 defeat against the Minnesota Timberwolves as 1.5-point road underdogs on Sunday. The Nuggets have played very little defense over the past four games, allowing at least 112 points in each contest during that span. It’s important to note that the franchise is surrendering 104.6 points per game on the road this season, which is the NBA’s worst mark. Denver is 15-7 ATS on the road this season.
The Nuggets have registered an even 11-11 mark on the road this season, but come into this contest with a perfect 5-0 mark in such contests against Eastern Conference opponents. Denver is 5-6 against Chicago when playing inside the United Center since the 2000-01 season. Offensively, the team leads the league in scoring 103.7 points per game, but will be challenged in a major way in taking on the NBA’s second-best defense on Monday night.
Chicago has won four straight and comes off a hard-fought 102-101 overtime victory over the Toronto Raptors as 12.5-point home favorites on Saturday. The Bulls will be missing All-Star point guard Derrick Rose for the seventh straight game, as he continues to nurse a groin injury. The team is 20-4 at home this season, including a 5-1 mark versus Western Conference foes. Despite losing three of the last four games in this series overall, the franchise has proven victorious in four of the last five meetings in the Windy City. Chicago is 30-20 ATS and the “over” is 27-23 on the season.
The Bulls are definitely a weary group being shorthanded at this point of the 2011-12 campaign, as they’ve played the most games in the league to this point. Chicago will likely lean heavily on forward Luol Deng on the offensive end, as he averaged 20.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in two games agains the Nuggets last year. Coming into their last contest against the Raptors, the Bulls were leading all teams in outscoring opponents by 9.1 points per game.
Bettors will likely back the Nuggets due to their 10-2 ATS mark versus Central opponents, while the favorite is 1-3-1 ATS in the last five meetings of this series.
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