Bulls vs Hornets Odds and Picks

• The Chicago Bulls visit the Charlotte Hornets at 7:30pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 9th on ESPN
• The Bulls enter the game at 33-21 overall, while the Hornets come in at 28-27 on the year
• See below for the latest odds, analysis and the best bet

In the first game of a doubleheader on ESPN on Wednesday, Feb. 9th, the Chicago Bulls and the Charlotte Hornets will square off at 7:30pm ET in an Eastern Conference contest at Spectrum Center in Charlotte.

Chicago enters the game at 33-21 on the year and is 5-5 in its last 10 games, currently tied for third place in the East. The Bulls are coming off of a close 127-124 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Monday in Chicago.

Charlotte comes into the contest at 28-27 overall and is 3-7 over its last 10 games, sitting in the ninth spot in the East. The Hornets are coming off of a 116-101 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Monday in Charlotte.

Going into the game, the Bulls are one-point favorites over the Hornets.

Bulls vs Hornets Odds

Odds as of Feb. 8th from DraftKings

Bulls Betting Outlook

Chicago has maintained its position as one of the top teams in the East and NBA in general, sitting right at the top of the conference standings while recently even sitting as the No. 1 seed. The Bulls have gone through a bit of a road bump as of late, however, losing two straight entering Wednesday.

Highlight play from Chris Paul to Deandre Ayton #Bulls #Suns #JMC306 pic.twitter.com/lofKoJOXjc

— David Ricuito (@David_Ricuito) February 8, 2022

Part of those struggles have come on the defensive side of the ball, an area Chicago hasn’t been terribly impressive in this year. So far this season, the Bulls rank 20th in the NBA in defensive rating (111.9).

Those defensive issues were on full display in Chicago’s most recent game against Phoenix on Monday, with the Suns exploding in the first half to lead by as much as 27 points at one point. Even with the Bulls firepower on offense, a unit that is in the top five in offensive rating (113.5), they couldn’t do enough to overcome that wide of a deficit.

The good news for Chicago is it will have a chance to bounce back and get back on track on Wednesday against a team that has struggled mightily on offense as of late.

Hornets Betting Outlook

While attempting to push for a higher seed in the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference, part of Charlotte’s success early on was due to its ability to light things up offensively.

Through 55 games, the Hornets rank second in the league in points per game (113.3), tied for 14th in field goal percentage (45.8%) and eighth in three-point percentage (36.1%).

During their five-game losing streak, Charlotte’s offense has been its Achilles heal and about the exact opposite than what we’ve witnessed earlier in the year.

Over that span, Charlotte has shot 39.1% from the field and 27.5% from three, both of which are the worst marks in the NBA by a wide margin. Turnovers have also haunted the Hornets during their losing streak, with the team committing 14.6 turnovers a game (seventh-most in the NBA).

Those offensive struggles, along with Charlotte’s rough defensive performance — ranking 25th in defensive rating (112.7) — has been too much to overcome lately. That has been one of the biggest reasons for the Hornets’ five-game losing streak going into Wednesday.

Bulls vs Hornets Pick

With the two teams not playing their best basketball right now, both are going to be eager to get back on track on Wednesday in Charlotte. Even though Chicago is shorthanded with a few key players still out with injuries, the Bulls should be able to take advantage of Charlotte’s recent struggles on both ends of the floor to overpower the Hornets.

Charlotte can certainly go shot-for-shot and keep up the pace offensively with the likes of Chicago, but if the Hornets recent display on that side of the ball continues Wednesday, it will be a long night for Charlotte. The Bulls are just too talented for their losing streak to continue, resulting in Chicago taking the second of three games against Charlotte this season (Bulls lead series 1-0).

For the best bet of the night, go with the Bulls covering the one point they are favored by. Chicago, which is 33-22-1 against the spread this season, should be able to cover that margin.

• The Pick: Bulls -1 (-110)

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