Washington Wizards vs Chicago Bulls: Bulls are one of the elite squads

COVID-19 has disrupted the rhythm of the NBA world and it has become tough to field regular lineups due to many players catching the virus on a daily basis. Not only the players, but around one-third of referees and coaches are also caught by the vicious cycle of the pandemic. Still, those who are associated with the game have kept persevering and we have seen the players play under such difficult conditions, bookmakers keep engaging in deep analysis to release odds, us, the writers, have continued to write pieces, while you, the readers, have kept on reading. And here we are, discussing the battle between the Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls. Wizards have won three out of the last five games but have still not lodged wins as consistently as they’d like. Meanwhile, on the other hand, the Bulls have won six in a row and currently have 23 wins and ten losses. Can the Wizards scrap out a win against the odds here? Who knows, it is the NBA. For a quick overview, hop over to “Notes”. For my total and game result prediction, go to “Expert Betting Tips”.

Wizards need more stability, Bulls are on fire

Wizards are struggling to keep up: Bradley Beal is the center of the lineup and he is crucial due to his isolation scoring toolkit. With Spencer Dinwiddie in the protocols, the Wizards will need more out of Gafford, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kuzma, Kispert and Avdija. While Gafford usually operates inside, the rest of these athletes are talented shooters but have been up-and-down in terms of offense, especially in case of Kuzma. The Wizards have not been a great defensive team since mid-November and have constantly given up 117 or more points. Still, if Beal gets it together then the team can field a consistently deep offensive attack and that can help the matters.

Bulls’ and their two iso options: One thing is clear, the Bulls have lesser troubles generating offense compared to the Wizards. With LaVine and DeRozan, you have two highly consistent 25+ points scorers, both of whom are also capable of hitting shots late in the game. This is what makes these two players so dangerous, they can get hot during any period and take over them. Now paired with a versatile scoring Center like Nikola Vucevic and a bench scorer like Coby White, the team has more ways to hurt the opposing defenses than you can count. When Lonzo Ball is back, this attack will gain even more steam. The Bulls are loaded and their scoring balance can make a handful of squads feel envious.

Notes

These are some quick hitters related to the game:

• Wizards have scored 110, 112, 96, 124, 109 in the last five games;
• Bulls have scored 108, 131, 130, 113, 133 in the last five games;
• Wizards have conceded 93, 119, 117, 117, 103 in the last five games;
• Bulls have conceded 106, 117, 118, 105, 118 in the last five games;
• Nikola Vucevic has grabbed 16, 20, 17, 15 rebounds in the last four games;
• Kyle Kuzma has grabbed 10 rebounds in three of the last four games;
• DeMar DeRozan has scored 28, 20, 35 in the last three games;
• LaVine has scored 17, 25, 30, 32 in the last four games;
• Coby White has dished 4, 12 assists in the last two games;
• Wizards absent list: Brad Wanamaker, Spencer Dinwiddie, Rui Hachimura, Montrezl Harrell, Aaron Holiday, Thomas Bryant, Raul Neto are in COVID-19 protocols. Davis Bertans is out of the game;
• Bulls absent list: Lonzo Ball, Ersan Ilyasova, Tony Bradley, Marko Samonovic, and Alfonzo McKinnie are in COVID-19 protocols. Alex Caruso is dealing with an injury but can be back soon;
• Do check the league's official injury list before placing stakes.

Expert Betting tips

Points Range: Bulls have stacked up 130 points more often than any other team for the past weeks and they are looking in superb touch right now. With LaVine and DeRozan, there are two substantial offensive options who can constantly put up 50 or more in tandem. Meanwhile, for the Wizards, the team heavily relies upon Beal but Kuzma can also come around every now and then. Avdija and Kispert can act as the lineup balancers off the bench as shooting options, and if these four players can click, then they can end up with 110 or more on a regular basis. The Bulls have scored more than Wizards and they have the potential to go past 120 more often. I guess both teams will go past at least 107 here. I think the total points range here is 221-234.

Prediction: Bulls have been a more consistent team than the Wizards and they have been terrific on the road as well. The team has two high-profile isolation options and both of those options can help seize the key moments game in and game out. Meanwhile, the Wizards have had trouble identifying a hot hand other than Bradley Beal this season and this means that Kuzma, Kispert, Avdija, and Gafford will have to click in tandem here. With Vucevic, the team has also received high-profile rebounding while Coby White has given more than decent playmaking. Overall, the Bulls have the edge and despite the unpredictability of the NBA, experts and bookmakers will favour them. I think the scoreline can be 121:110 in favour of Chicago.

Betting Options

• Alternate Total Points: Over 216.5 for 2.00;
• Player Props: Player Points: Bradley Beal Over 27.5 for 1.95;
• W2 for 1.81.