Bulls vs. 76ers Betting Line November 9
Carrie Stroup here with your Bulls vs. 76ers betting line for Monday night Sportsbook.ag Line: Chicago -9, Total: 197
CHICAGO BULLS (4-3) at PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (0-6)
The erratic Bulls try to get back in the win column on Monday night when they visit the winless 76ers.
Chicago (2-5 ATS) has already had some impressive wins over Cleveland and Oklahoma City, but is coming off its worst loss of the season on Saturday when 9-point underdog Minnesota won 102-93 at United Center. The Bulls shot a season-low 36% FG in that defeat, and the last time they played a road game last Tuesday, Charlotte scored 130 points in a 25-point blowout.
Philadelphia (3-3 ATS) hasn't won a game SU this year, but after getting crushed by 17 and 28 points to open the season, each of its past four defeats have been by eight points or less. The Sixers opened a three-game homestand on Saturday with a 105-97 loss to Orlando.
Chicago has won six straight meetings in this series, including all three matchups last season, but Philadelphia was 2-1 ATS in the 2014-15 series when it lost 118-115 as a 10-point home underdog on Nov. 7, 2014 and fell 114-107 as a 15.5-point underdog at United Center on April 11, 2015.
The majority of betting trends for Monday are in favor of Chicago, including its 31-18 ATS mark (63%) in the past two seasons after playing a home game, and that NBA road favorites attempting 18+ threes per game on the season are 217-135 ATS (62%) in November games since 1996. However, Philadelphia is 17-6 ATS (74%) versus teams with 53+ RPG in the past two seasons.
Both clubs have some injury woes as Bulls SG Kirk Hinrich (toe) is questionable and SF Mike Dunleavy (back) remains out indefinitely. For the 76ers, SF Jerami Grant (eye) is questionable for Monday, while SF Robert Covington (knee) will miss at least the next week of action.
Chicago is scoring exactly 100 points per game this season, but that number bumps up to 104.7 PPG in three road games. Although the team is shooting just 43% FG on the season, including 41% in the past five contests, the Bulls have been potent from behind the arc with a 38% three-point clip, including 44% threes on the road. SF Doug McDermott (10.1 PPG, 55% FG) has been the long-range sharpshooter at 59% threes this year, and is one of five players averaging more than 10 points per game.
SG Jimmy Butler leads the team in scoring with 20.1 PPG (43% threes), but also has 5.3 RPG, 2.6 APG and 2.1 SPG for good measure. Last season versus Philly, Butler had 19.0 PPG on 42% FG and 40% threes. PF Pau Gasol (13.6 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 1.9 BPG) has done nice work in the paint, but much more is expected from PG Derrick Rose, whose 13.0 PPG on 36% FG are way below his career averages of 20.2 PPG and 45% FG.
The other significant scoring option is PF Nikola Mirotic (12.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG), but after netting 16+ points in the first four games, he has been in a major shooting funk in the past three contests with 3.7 PPG on 4-of-24 FG (1-13 threes).
Chicago's defense is allowing a respectable 101.4 PPG on 42% FG, but these numbers climb to 109.3 PPG on 43% FG on the road.
Philadelphia's offense needs to get going, as the club has only 92.0 PPG on 43% FG and 32% threes this season. There has been a slight uptick in scoring over the past two games with 99.5 PPG on 48% FG, but the defense has given up a robust 106.5 PPG on 50% FG during in these two contests.
Rookie C Jahlil Okafor has played very well offensively to begin his NBA career with 19.7 PPG on 53% FG, including 20.5 PPG in his past four games. But the Duke product is grabbing only 5.5 RPG in 34.3 MPG. Okafor does have 1.2 BPG though, and swatted away three Magic shots on Saturday.
PF Nerlens Noel (12.2 PPG) has been the team's best rebounder (9.8 RPG) and shot blocker (1.8 BPG), but he is shooting a woeful 42% FG and was ejected from Saturday's loss after throwing an elbow to Jason Smith.
The starting backcourt of SG Nik Stauskas (14.6 PPG) and PG Isaiah Canaan (13.0 PPG) have both shot poorly to start the year at 40% FG and 37% FG, respectively. But Canaan has made 39% of his threes and is coming off a season-high 23 points on 8-of-16 FG (6-of-12 threes) versus Orlando. In Canaan's one game with the Sixers versus Chicago last season, he scored 20 points on 7-of-15 FG and 4-of-8 threes. While Canaan provides the scoring option at the point, backup PG T.J. McConnell (5.5 PPG) leads the team with 7.5 APG and 1.7 SPG in his 28.8 MPG of action. The rookie from Arizona began the month with two straight 12-assist games, but has only 13 assists and eight turnovers in the past two contests combined.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
