Warriors vs Bulls Picks and Predictions: Curry Torches Bulls in Chi-Town

Steph Curry is back, Andrew Wiggins is healthy, and the Golden State Warriors’ title defense is up and running again. That spells trouble for the rest of the league — starting with the Chicago Bulls — their opponents this afternoon.

The Warriors weathered a challenging December with impressive resolve. Sure, their 21-21 record is nothing to write home about, but Curry’s 11-game absence could have been far more damaging. Golden State is coming off a 144-113 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday as it tries to get a winning streak going.

Things aren’t as rosy for the Bulls, who’ve lost three in a row. Falling short in Boston is one thing, but losses to the Washington Wizards and Oklahoma City Thunder hardly scream “playoff team”. If DeMar DeRozan sits out again with a quadriceps injury, Chicago faces an uphill battle here.

Read our NBA betting picks for Warriors vs. Bulls below to get everything you need to know about today’s showdown.

Warriors vs Bulls best odds

Warriors vs Bulls picks and predictions

Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole did their best Steph Curry impressions in recent weeks to carry the Warriors without the reigning Finals MVP, but no one quite does it like the original Splash Brother. Curry has eased his way back into the starting lineup in the past two games — and now I expect a statement performance against the Chicago Bulls. 

There’s been some understandable rust after his extended spell on the sidelines, but Curry hasn’t been shy about getting up shots. He took 15 threes in his first game back against the Suns and would probably have recorded double-digit attempts against the Spurs on Friday if the scoreline had been closer. Look for Curry to fire up at least 10 triples this afternoon.

Golden State’s dismal 4-16 road record is the reason that Steve Kerr’s men are outside the Top 6 in the Western Conference. Curry finished with 15 points in San Antonio as the Warriors grabbed a much-needed win away from Chase Center, and today is the second stop on an important five-game road trip.

Now he’s facing a Bulls defense that gave up 124 points to the Thunder on Friday, including a combined 46 points to backcourt duo Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey. Beyond Alex Caruso, Chicago is short on defensive-minded backcourt options and, even if Curry’s minutes are still limited slightly, he’s set up to start cooking against mismatches.

The NBA odds for Curry to knock down five or more 3-pointers get a little boost this afternoon because he’s still finding his feet again after the shoulder injury, but I’ll be jumping on this opportunity for plus odds for the greatest shooter of all-time to get on a roll from deep.

My best bet: Steph Curry Over 4.5 made threes (+112)

Warriors vs Bulls spread analysis

To say that the Golden State Warriors have had the upper hand over the Bulls in recent years would be underselling their dominance. Golden State has won the past 11 meetings and 14 of the last 15 — and that at least partially explains the visitors being 4.5-point favorites, despite their road struggles.

Curry & Co. picked up a 119-111 victory in the teams’ last meeting in early December, led by Poole’s 30-point night, and the Warriors have a chance to flex their muscles here with their first-choice starting line-up finally reunited.

DeRozan’s possible absence is the other X-factor for this afternoon. He’s averaging 26 points a night and it’s tough to see the hosts keeping up with this potent Golden State offense without such a dynamic scorer.

While the Bulls are 4-0 ATS in their last four outings after scoring 100 points or more in their prior game, it’s tough to read too much into the Warriors’ recent numbers given that their ability to bend defenses and shut down perimeter scorers is so dependent on Curry and Wiggins respectively.

Warriors vs Bulls Over/Under analysis

The Over jumps off the screen here, with both offenses capable of big runs. If DeRozan plays, that feels like more of a lock. Without him, the responsibility falls on the shoulders of Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic.

The numbers point to the Over too. It’s hit in the Warriors’ last four matchups after scoring 125 points or more in their previous game and it’s 5-1-1 in their last seven Sunday games.

Chicago’s strong offense and shaky defense are a nice fit for the Over too, and their games against weaker road teams have trended toward high-scoring shootouts. With limited options to slow down Curry, Thompson, and Poole on the perimeter, it could be raining 3-pointers this afternoon.

Warriors vs Bulls betting trend to know

The Over is 5-1-1 in the Bulls’ last seven games against teams with a losing road record. Find more NBA betting trends for Warriors vs. Bulls.

Warriors vs Bulls game info

Warriors vs Bulls key injuries

Pages related to this topic