WagerTalk NBA handicapper Andy Lang offers his Chicago Bulls vs Houston Rockets betting preview for Monday, December 20. At the time of posting, the Bulls have dropped to a 6.5-point home favorite over the visiting Rockets, with the total at 222.5 points.<\/p>\n
Stay on top of the latest NBA<\/a> updates direct from Las Vegas!<\/em><\/p>\n The total is 222.5 and the Bulls are a 6.5-point home favorite against the Rockets as Houston plays game two of a five game road trip, and Chicago is playing a double header after getting a week off due to COVID protocols, and beating the Lakers by five in a come from behind victory at home last night.<\/p>\n These teams have already played against each other once earlier this season with Houston coming out on top 118-113 as -9.5 underdogs. That game was the game that broke a 15 game losing streak, and started a 7 game win streak for the Rockets, so let\u2019s take a look and see if tonight’s game can be as significant.<\/p>\n The Rockets have lost four out of six games, but are coming off a nine point win to the hapless Pistons, and their only other win in that time span is to a struggling Atlanta Hawks team. Unfortunately, their losses have been to the better teams on their schedule and by a decent margin. The last two losses were 13 points to the Knicks, and 35 points to Cleveland, and they still rank 4th worst in defensive efficiency, and 7th worst in offensive efficiency.<\/p>\n On the flip side, the Bulls are 8th best in offensive efficiency and 7th best in defensive efficiency and the Bulls appear to have caught a break on getting the week off. They had lost two straight games to Cleveland and Miami where they scored 92 points in both games.<\/p>\n Chicago seemed to get their offense back on track last night scoring 115 points in the win against the Lakers, and even though tonight’s game is the second leg of a back to back, both games are at home for them. This is a great stretch for Chicago as they have 11-12 games in a row that they will be favorites in most or all of them, and after last nights win I see them playing tonight with confidence.<\/p>\n Houston leads the league in pace of play, but with Lonzo Ball, Caruso and DeRozan all playing the Bulls defense should slow up the Rockets. The Bulls defense combined with Houston\u2019s struggles against higher ranked teams make me want to take the Bulls, and with Houston being 1-4 ATS in their last five road games I can\u2019t put my money on the Rockets. Bulls -6.5 are my play in this one.<\/p>\n OFFICIAL PLAY: BULLS -6.5.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf84Looking to take your betting to the next level in 2022? Check out our End-of-Year special: Buy a 90-Day All-Access pass from your favorite handicapper, and we’ll double it to 180 days at no additional cost. All plays. All games. All sports. \u2014 WagerTalk (@WagerTalk) December 16, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n
\n Mon, Dec 20<\/th>\n NBA Betting Notes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n Point Spread:<\/td>\n Chicago Bulls -6.5 vs Houston Rockets<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Total:<\/td>\n 222.5 Points<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Game Time:<\/td>\n 8:10pm ET \/ 5:10pm PT<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Arena:<\/td>\n United Center in Chicago<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n TV:<\/td>\n NBC Sports Chicago<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n Chicago Bulls vs Houston Rockets Predictions<\/h2>\n
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