Chicago Bulls at Oklahoma City Thunder
Sunday, 4/1/12, 1:00 PM EST, TV: ABC
Opening Point Spread: Oklahoma City -4
Current Betting Line: Oklahoma City -5.5
Opening Total: 194
Current Total: 192.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Chicago has won six of its last seven games and comes off an 83-71 victory over the Detroit Pistons as 11-point home favorites on Friday night. The Bulls will be playing their ninth consecutive game without the services of point guard Derrick Rose, who is still nursing a groin injury. The team has registered an impressive 21-6 road record this season, including a 6-2 mark versus Western Conference foes. Chicago is 4-0 ATS as an underdog and the “under” is 3-1 in that situation.
The Bulls are 14-5 overall this season without Rose on the floor, while they’ve also managed to win 17 of their last 20 games. Chicago has captured seven consecutive road games, winning those contests by an average of 13.4 points per game. Forwards Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng will have to provide much of the offense in this marquee matchup, averaging 15.6 and 15.4 points per game respectively. The franchise leads the NBA in outscoring opponents by 8.7 points per game.
Oklahoma City is playing some of its best basketball of the 2011-12 and will try to win its sixth game in a row on Sunday. The Thunder return home after sweeping a two-game road trip against the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers, while they’ve managed to cover four of their last five games overall. “We’re on a nice streak right now, we’re playing good basketball,” commented Thunder head coach Scott Brooks. All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook has been at the center of the team’s recent spurt, averaging 31.5 points per game over the last four contests. Oklahoma City is 14-12 ATS at home this season and the “over” is 15-11 in that situation.
The Thunder are 22-4 at home this season, including a 6-1 mark versus Eastern Conference opponents. Oklahoma City leads the NBA in averaging 103.7 points per game, which has been helped by scoring 115.4 points per game on 52 percent shooting over the team’s current win streak. Westbrook and forward Kevin Durant are the highest scoring duo in the league, combining to score 52.1 points per game.
Bettors will likely back the Bulls due to their 35-17 ATS mark in their last 52 road games, while the Thunder are 1-8 ATS at home versus teams with a winning road record.
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