Chicago Bulls vs. Charlotte Hornets Predictions, Picks, Odds

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

4 minute read

Nationally televised NBA coverage will resume on Wednesday night with a compelling Eastern Conference matchup between the Chicago Bulls and Charlotte Hornets. Coverage begins from Spectrum Center at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

SCORE PREDICTION

Bulls 118, Hornets 107

BEST BETS

Bulls -1 (-110) at BetMGM

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CHICAGO BULLS VS. CHARLOTTE HORNETS PREDICTIONS

After finishing 10th in the East with a record of 33-39 SU last year, Charlotte stormed out to a surprisingly strong start to this season, as the Hornets opened with a sturdy 26-20 SU and 29-17 ATS run – while ranking second in the league and scoring 114.4 PPG and sixth in offensive efficiency during that timeframe (114.4 PPG, 1.093 OE).

Charlotte’s offense has been virtually nonexistent as of late though, considering the Hornets are just 2-7 SU and ATS across their last nine games – while scoring 101 PTS or less in five of those contests (107.1 PPG).

On the other hand, Chicago also posted an excellent start to the season, as the Bulls kicked things off with an impressive 26-10 SU and 22-14 ATS run – with five of those SU victories coming in matchups they were underdogs in.

Chicago has been ravaged by health issues since mid-January though, considering the Bulls are just 6-10 SU and 8-7-1 ATS across their last 16 games, which includes a 2-5 SU record without All-Star SG Zach LaVine – and a record of 5-4 SU with him during that span.

I’ll back Chicago here, as the Hornets enter Wednesday riding a frustrating 2-7 SU and ATS skid, while averaging just 107 PPG offensively across that window – setting the stage for a tough home matchup against a Bulls squad that’s scored 120+ PTS in six of their last seven games (121.7 PPG).

CHICAGO BULLS VS. CHARLOTTE HORNETS BETTING ODDS

More Odds | Futures Odds

CHICAGO BULLS VS. CHARLOTTE HORNETS BETTING RESOURCES

• Matchup: Central vs. Southeast
• Date: Wednesday, February 9, 2022
• Venue: Spectrum Center
• Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
• TV-Time: ESPN - 7:30 p.m. ET
• Injury Report

CHICAGO BULLS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 33-21
• ATS: 31-22-1
• O/U: 30-23-1

After finishing 11th in the East with a record of 31-41 SU last year, Chicago went out and made some aggressive acquisitions during the offseason, which resulted in this fully rejuvenated Bulls squad, as Lavine now finds himself partnered up with a stout supporting cast that includes DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, Nikola Vucevic, Alex Caruso and other considerably talented counterparts.

The Bulls have stalled due to health concerns recently though, considering Chicago sits just 7-9 SU and 8-7-1 ATS across their last 16 games – with more than half of those SU losses coming in the absence of LaVine (5).

CHARLOTTE HORNETS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 28-27
• ATS: 31-24
• O/U: 26-28-1

After last year’s underwhelming 33-39 SU showing, Charlotte immediately bounced back with a red-hot start to this season, as the Hornets opened with an impressive 26-20 SU and 29-17 ATS run – despite getting tagged as underdogs in 34 of those matchups.

Charlotte’s offense has been abysmal recently though, considering the Hornets enter Wednesday sitting at 2-7 SU and ATS across their last nine games – while eclipsing 114+ PTS just twice during that span (107.1 PPG).

CHICAGO BULLS VS. CHARLOTTE HORNETS HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Bulls swept a three-game regular-season set against Charlotte last year, with the first matchup soaring over the total at a score of 123-110 – while the ensuing two affairs stayed under at an average of 209 PPG. The most recent matchup between these teams took place back in November of this season though, which resulted in another high-scoring victory for Chicago (133-119).

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH

• CHI: DeMar DeRozan - SF (27.2 PPG, 5.2 REB, 5.1 AST)
• CHI: Zach LaVine - SG (24.8 PPG, 4.8 REB, 4.4 AST)
• CHA: Miles Bridges - PF (19.8 PPG, 7.2 REB, 3.5 AST)
• CHA: LaMelo Ball - PG (19.5 PPG, 7.1 REB, 7.5 AST)

CHICAGO BULLS VS. CHARLOTTE HORNETS BETTING CONCLUSION

After posting their fifth straight loss on Monday night (L, 116-101), the Hornets enter Wednesday’s contest as short home underdogs against the Bulls at Spectrum Center – marking the fourth time Charlotte has been an underdog across the last five games.

I’ll back Chicago here, as despite entering Wednesday riding a relatively mediocre 5-4 SU stretch, the Bulls still averaged 119.3 PPG offensively across that span – likely presenting a steep uphill battle for a Hornets squad that’s scored 101 PTS or less in five of their last nine games (107.1 PPG).

CHICAGO BULLS VS. CHARLOTTE HORNETS BETTING TRENDS

• The Bulls are 4-1 ATS in their last five matchups against Charlotte.
• The Hornets are 1-5 ATS in their last six games.
• The total has gone OVER in seven straight Bulls' games.
• The total has gone UNDER in five straight Hornets' games.
• The total has gone OVER in 13 of the last 17 matchups between Charlotte and Chicago.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson