Chicago Bulls vs Charlotte Hornets Betting Pick & Prediction 12/30/24

The Chicago Bulls (-213) are 5.5-point favorites against the Charlotte Hornets (+176) on the road. The over/under line in this Eastern Conference matchup is 226.5 points. The Hornets have lost seven straight games and are 13th in the East. The Bulls are 9th in the conference and have a record of 14-18.

This game will be played at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 ET and can be seen on CHSN.

CHICAGO BULLS VS CHARLOTTE HORNETS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Chicago Bulls -5.5

This game will be played at Spectrum Center at 7:00 ET on Monday, December 30th.

WHY BET THE CHICAGO BULLS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 142-135 in favor of the Bulls.
• Our projections have Zach LaVine finishing with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
• From the field, we have the Bulls finishing with a field goal percentage of 46.1% and knocking down 20 threes.

Will Chicago Win on the Road?

The Bulls improved to 14-18 on the season with a 116-111 win over the Bucks on Saturday. Playing at home, Chicago entered the game as +2.5 point underdogs and covered the spread with the win. The total score of 227 points fell just short of the 231.5-point over/under line.

Chicago took control in the 4th quarter, going on a 10-0 run that turned an 86-85 deficit into a 95-86 lead. They outscored Milwaukee 33-27 in the final period to secure the win.

Nikola Vucevic and Josh Giddey both put up 23 points in the Bulls’ win over the Bucks, with Giddey shooting 60% from the field and adding 15 rebounds and 10 assists. Coby White contributed 22 points, scoring 9 in the 4th quarter.

Chicago hit 14 threes at a 38.9% clip, finishing with a 47.4% overall shooting percentage. Vucevic made 3 threes, shooting 42.9% from deep.

Despite a rough 2nd quarter, the Bulls’ defense held strong in the 3rd, giving up just 24 points, and they allowed 27 in the 4th to secure the win. Overall, they gave up 111 points on 40% shooting from the field.

Chicago limited Milwaukee to 15 made threes on 33% shooting from deep. The Bulls also sent the Bucks to the line 14 times, where they hit all their free throws. Defensively, the Bulls grabbed 41 rebounds, allowing 6 offensive boards, and recorded 4 steals and 6 blocks.

Does Charlotte Have What it Takes at Home?

Charlotte’s season continued to be a struggle as they fell to 7-24 after a 106-94 home loss to the Thunder on Saturday. The Hornets were +13.5 point underdogs going into the game and managed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 200, which was 14 points under the pre-game line of 214.

Charlotte fell behind early, losing the 1st quarter 28-22 and the 2nd quarter 33-24. They trailed 90-74 going into the 4th quarter but held the Thunder to just 16 points in the final period while scoring 20 themselves.

The Hornets struggled offensively in their loss to the Thunder, shooting just 36.2% from the field and hitting 11 threes at a 32.4% clip. Miles Bridges led the way with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists, despite shooting only 31.2%.

Vasilije Micic added 16 points, connecting on 4 threes at 57.1%. Bridges scored 10 points in the 4th quarter, while Micic added 6 of his own in the final period.

Defensively, the Hornets struggled in the 2nd quarter, giving up 33 points, but they tightened up in the 4th, allowing just 16 points. Overall, they allowed 106 points on 47% shooting from the Thunder.

Charlotte did well defending the three, holding Oklahoma City to 10 made threes on 26% shooting. The Thunder also went 12/14 from the line. The Hornets finished with 9 steals and 5 blocks.