The 2023 NBA Paris Game tips off on Thursday afternoon with the Chicago Bulls facing off against the Detroit Pistons.
The Bulls have owned this Central Division rivalry in recent years, going 12-0 SU and 11-1 ATS in the last 12 meetings. Oddsmakers expect them to cruise to victory against the cellar-dwelling Pistons again today.
NBA betting lines opened with Chicago as a 6-point favorite before ticking up to -7.5 at most books. Here are my best free Bulls vs. Pistons NBA picks and predictions for January 19.
Bulls vs Pistons best odds
Bulls vs Pistons picks and predictions
The Bulls have been up and down this season but they have looked good over the last month, and are coming off an impressive 132-118 win against the Warriors without DeMar DeRozan.
They've played their last three games without DeRozan, who leads the team in scoring (26.1 ppg) and assists (4.9 apg), but he'll be back today to help Chicago take advantage of Detroit's pathetic defense.
The Pistons seem more concerned with the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes than being competitive. Not only are they losing games, but they have been getting blown out. They are just 4-11 ATS in their last 15 games and have 10 losses by double-digits during that span.
Combine that with Chicago's recent dominance in the head-to-head, and I'll lay the points with the Bulls.
My best bet: Bulls -6.5 (-115 at Betway)
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Bulls vs Pistons spread analysis
The Pistons have the second-worst record in the NBA, at 12-35, and have looked even worse lately, going just 1-5 SU and ATS in their last six games.
The Pistons have some good news, with leading scorer Bojan Bogdanovic (21.2 ppg) expected to play after sitting out their last contest due to illness. Leading rebounder Jalen Duren (8.5 rebounds in just 24.4 minutes per game) is listed as questionable after missing the last five games with an ankle injury, but at least he arrived in Paris yesterday after losing his Visa.
The Bulls are coming off a 132-118 win against Golden State which snapped a three-game skid. They coincidentally beat Detroit by an identical 132-118 scoreline when these teams previously clashed on December 30. Chicago is 10th in the Eastern Conference standings with a 20-24 record but has gone 9-6 SU (10-4-1 ATS) over the last 30 days.
Chicago does a good job of limiting turnovers and shoots the ball well (11th in the league with an effective field goal percentage of 55%) but struggles on the offensive glass.
The Bulls are still without guard Lonzo Ball, who has yet to make his season debut after undergoing a pair of knee surgeries. They've really missed Ball's perimeter defense and are 17th in the league in defensive rating (113.4 points per 100 possessions allowed) while ranking 26th in opponent 3-point percentage (36.9%).
The Pistons have an even bigger hole in their lineup after a season-ending injury to point guard Cade Cunningham back in November. Killian Hayes (the only French player in this game) has taken over as Detroit's lead guard and while he struggled earlier in the season he has made strides and is averaging 14.6 points, 8.0 assists, and 2.3 steals per game on 46/38/83 shooting splits in January.
The Pistons have struggled to create open looks without Cunningham and rank just 25th in the league in offensive rating (110.8). They're even worse on the other end of the floor where they rank second-last in defensive rating (118).
Bulls vs Pistons Over/Under analysis
The Bulls and Pistons play at close to the league average in terms of pace but we're seeing a huge O/U for this game due to the terrible defense they both play.
The Bulls are allowing 115.2 ppg on 55.4 EFG% while the Pistons are second-last in the league with 119.5 ppg allowed and third-last in opponent EFG% (56.1%).
The Bulls also have plenty of firepower with guard Zach LaVine (23.9 ppg, 4.3 apg) and center Nikola Vucevic (17.5 ppg, 10.9 rpg) combining with DeRozan to form an impressive offensive trio.
That said, this massive total doesn't seem to take into account Detroit's struggles on the offensive end of the floor. The Pistons are just 26th in the league in effective field goal percentage (52.2%) while ranking 24th in scoring with 112.1 ppg.
The Bulls will likely have to do most of the heavy lifting for this game to go Over the total and considering their recent history it might not happen. The Under has gone a commanding 8-1 in the last nine meetings.
Bulls vs Pistons betting trend to know
The Bulls are 4-1 ATS in their last five games versus a team with a winning percentage below .400. Find more NBA betting trends for Bulls vs. Pistons.
Bulls vs Pistons game info
| Location: | AccorHotels Arena, Paris, FR |
| Date: | Thursday, January 19, 2023 |
| Tip-off: | 3:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | NBCS-CH, BSN |
