Brooklyn vs Chicago Prediction: Who will be able to improve their position at the end of a face-to-face meeting?

Brooklyn and Chicago are considered clear playoff contenders, but both teams are currently outside the top 6 of the Eastern Conference. Who will be able to improve their position at the end of a face-to-face meeting?

Over the past few years with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Nets have found their style of play, but so far, it hasn't led the team to titles. They have seen maximum isolation, minimum pick-n-roll, and very unhurried offensive play based on Irving's and Durant's skills, not only this season. Brooklyn actively engages the backfield and leads the NBA in screen assists. Primary center Nicolas Claxton and Ben Simmons have been very useful in that regard. On the court, the once-stellar point guard lacks determination, and even Kyrie Irving has assured the Aussie on occasion not to be afraid to shoot around the basket.

Simmons did not play the last game against Indiana because of a knee problem, and Seth Curry was also absent. They'll probably both be on the floor against Chicago, but the Nets did well without them and defeated the Pacers 116-109. Despite Curry's absence, Brooklyn did well from beyond the arc. First and foremost, Irving and Durant combined for more than half of their team's points. Only three Nets players scored at least 10 points on the night. In addition to Irving and Durant, Nicolas Claxton made 9 of 11 shots from the field. With the win over the Pacers, Brooklyn snapped a four-game losing streak. They now have two wins in seven games.

The Bulls are 30th in the NBA in points scored from the paint, and it's hard to see anything surprising about that. DeMar DeRozan frequently shoots from mid-range, Nikola Vucevic goes to the arc, and Zach LaVine, who often completes offensive passes, has missed 3 of 7 games this regular season. Scoring from under the basket will be even more difficult now that Andre Drummond, who scored from the paint nearly as much as Vucevic but played much less, has been injured. There are problems with the point guards now as well. In addition to Lonzo Ball, Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White are on the sideline; both are still questionable.

Chicago is a very tenacious team, ranking in the top 3 in the NBA in steals and also in the top 3 in points scored after losing opponents. The Bulls also regularly took advantage of their opponent's sloppiness in a recent game against Philadelphia, but that didn't save them from defeat, 109-114. DeRozan, LaVine, and Vucevic combined for 67 points, but the reserves lost the game overall. Goran Dragic, who'd previously helped the team to victory, missed many shots this time, while Patrick Williams and Coby White had no turnovers either. The good offensive play kept the intrigue alive, and Alex Caruso, the starting five, did well at times on the offensive end.

Chicago's lineup may be severely weakened against Brooklyn, but the Bulls can fight back against the Nets despite that. Billy Donovan's men have already won this season without Zach LaVine, with Miami coming out on top. The Bulls need a role player who can shoot from beyond the arc. Brooklyn gave Indiana plenty of space, but they failed to take advantage and frequently missed open shots. Without Ben Simmons, the home team is even weaker on defense, and the Aussie is unlikely to use his knee. Seth Curry can strengthen the Nets' offense, but he will replace Joe Harris, who will probably not play a 2nd game back-to-back. Our prediction for the Brooklyn vs Chicago matchup is as follows:

• Handicap 2 (+2.5) for 1.83;
• Chicago win including overtime for 2.05;
• Total Over 231.5 points for 1.90.