CHICAGO BULLS VS. PHOENIX SUNS – ODDS & PREDICTIONS FOR JANUARY 21, 2024

Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA coverage here at Latest Basketball News. One of the games on tap from Monday’s slate features the Chicago Bulls (21-23 SU, 22-21-1 ATS) taking on the Phoenix Suns (24-18 SU, 15-25-2 ATS).

Here is a look at which team has the edge going into this matchup and why.

Tipoff

• When: Monday, January 21, 2024
  
• Time: 9:00 PM ET
  
• Where: Footprint Center
  
• Location: Phoenix, AZ
  
• TV: AZ Family and NBCS-CHI

Chicago Bulls vs. Phoenix Suns (Via DraftKings)

Chicago Bulls vs. Phoenix Suns – Regular Season Stats & Betting Trends

Can The Bulls Cool Off The Suns?

Chicago Bulls Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 110.6 PPG – 27TH       
• Offensive Efficiency: 113.4 points per 100 possessions – 22ND       
• Scoring Defense: 112.0 PPG – 9TH       
• Defensive Efficiency: 114.9 points per 100 possessions – 15TH    

The Chicago Bulls find themselves in the ninth spot in the conference playoff race. They have produced six wins in their last 10 outings, and they have won each of their last two games. This includes a 125-96 victory over a severely undermanned Memphis Grizzlies squad on Saturday night. 

Ayo Dosunmu scored a team-high 20 points off the bench. He also collected six rebounds and four assists. DeMar DeRozan added 18 points, eight assists and four rebounds. Coby White contributed 17 points, five boards, and five assists. 

Unfortunately, for Chicago, Zach LaVine sat out this game after sustaining an ankle injury against the Toronto Raptors last week, and there is no definitive timetable for his return.

“You just find a way,” Patrick Williams said, via ESPN. “The end goal is to win the game (no matter) who’s playing, who’s not playing. That’s your job as a team, that’s your job as a player is to win games. We’re all trying to find a way to do that. Would love to have him here. Can’t wait ‘til he gets back. But we’ve got to hold down the fort.”

Chicago has won 11 of the 19 games LaVine has missed this season. But they will need multiple players to step up against a Suns team that is playing extremely well as of late.

Can The Suns Continue Their Dominance Over The Bulls?

Phoenix Suns Season Stats:

• • Scoring Offense: 116.1 PPG – 13TH   
  • Offensive Efficiency: 117.8 points per 100 possessions – 11TH        
  • Scoring Defense: 114.2 PPG – 15TH       

• Defensive Efficiency: 115.8 points per 100 possessions – 16TH    

On the other side of this matchup, the Phoenix Suns have posted seven wins across their last 10 outings, and they have beaten the Bulls eight straight times. 

Not only that, but they also won each of their last five games. This includes a 117-110 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night. 

Kevin Durant paced the Suns’ scoring attack with 40 points, nine rebounds, and three blocked shots. He shot 18-for-25 from the floor, including a 4-for-7 effort from beyond the arc.

While Durant was satisfied with the Suns’ recent win, he also knows that the team is far from being a finished product.

“I felt good all night. My teammates were finding me. Glad we got a win,” Durant said after the game. “We want to build continuity, build chemistry every day, and being available is the first part of it. We’ve got to keep building good habits as well and play hard together.”

Devin Booker added 26 points, eight assists, and six rebounds. Bradley Beal contributed 25 points, four rebounds, and three assists. 

Phoenix’s big three scored a combined 91 points for the second straight game. If they get that kind of production out of this trio against Chicago, their chances of extending their winning streak to six games look promising. 

Now that we have set the table for this East vs. West matchup, let us closely examine the all-important betting trends for both sides.

The Picks

The Spread

The Phoenix Suns opened as a huge nine-point favorite. At the time of this writing, the line has dipped down to five points for the home team. 

Here is a look at how both teams have fared against the spread this season. 

• The Bulls are 6-2 ATS in their last eight Monday games.
• The Suns are 5-13-1 ATS in their 19 games overall.
• Phoenix is 3-12-1 ATS in its last 16 home games.
• The Suns are 3-6 ATS in their last nine games they have played on a Monday.

While the trends point to the Bulls covering the spread, I would strongly suggest going in the other direction since Chicago will be without its leading scorer. Additionally, the Suns have beaten the Bulls by an average of 12 points in the last seven meetings between these teams. 

Prediction: Phoenix Suns (-5)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total for this matchup opened at 229 points. The line has not changed at the time of this writing (via pre-game.com). Here is why going with the “UNDER” is the smart choice. 

• The total has gone UNDER five times in the Bulls’ last seven road contests.
  
• The UNDER total has hit four times in the Suns’ last five games.
  
• In Phoenix’s last 11 matchups against Central Division opponents, the UNDER total has won eight times.
  
• The total has gone UNDER four times in the Suns’ last six January games.

Prediction: UNDER 229 points

Player Prop Bets

The key player to watch for the road team is DeMar DeRozan. He currently has -110 odds of scoring more than 22.5 points and -120 odds of finishing with less than 22.5 points (Via DraftKings). Here is a closer look at how his numbers compare to the projected points total for this matchup. 

• In three matchups against Pacific Division teams, DeRozan is averaging 29.3 PPG.
• On the season, DeRozan is averaging 21.9 points per outing. 
• In 20 road games, he is averaging 20.6 PPG.
• DeRozan has played against Western Conference teams 15 times this season. In those contests, he is averaging 21.5 points per outing.
• Over his last 10 outings, he is averaging 20.5 points per outing, exceeding the projected points total for this matchup three times during that stretch. 

Going with the “under” for DeRozan is the better option based on the above trends.

Prediction: DeMar DeRozan UNDER 22.5 points

The player to watch for the home team is Kevin Durant. He currently has -135 odds of scoring more than 26.5 points and +105 odds of scoring less than 26.5 points. Let us see how his numbers stack up against the projected points total for this matchup. 

• On the season, Durant is averaging 29.2 points per outing.
• In 19 home games, he is averaging 28.4 PPG.
• Durant has played against Eastern Conference teams 10 times this season. In those contests, he is averaging 30.3 points per outing.
• During the month of January, Durant is averaging 31.6 PPG. 
• Durant has played against teams in the Central Division three times this season. In those games, he has averaged 35.3 PPG.
• Over his last 10 outings, he is averaging 26.4 points per outing, exceeding the projected points total for this matchup five times during that stretch. 

Given the above trends, going with the “over” for Durant is the best option.

Prediction: Kevin Durant OVER 26.5 points

James’s Chicago Bulls vs. Phoenix Suns Picks

• The Spread: Phoenix Suns (-5)
• Over/Under: Under 229 points
• Player Prop Bet #1: DeMar DeRozan Under 22.5 points.
• Player Prop Bet #2: Kevin Durant Over 26.5 points.