Game Time: 10:00 PM ET, Wednesday, January 12th, 2022 

Venue:  United Center, Chicago, Illinois

Where to Watch:  ESPN

Opening NBA Odds at USA Sportsbooks

DraftKings:  Spread: NL

BetMGM:  Spread:  NL

VegasInsider:  Spread:  NL

WynnBet: Spread: NL

Nets: 25-14, 2nd place Eastern Conference

Bulls: 26-11, 1st place Eastern Conference

An Eastern Conference matchup between opponents who occupy the top spots in the standings.  The Eastern Conference has four teams tangled at the top 1) the Chicago Bulls, 2) the Brooklyn Nets, 3) the Miami Heat, 4) the Milwaukee Bucks.  Any time any of these teams play each other it will be a big deal… the most exciting team of the group is the #1 Chicago Bulls.  Absolutely no major sports talking heads or prognosticators, even those in Chicago, predicted such a quick turnaround after the spate of trades this last offseason. No one foresaw that the Standings would be as they are now… now the Bulls may not keep the top spot and may not beat the Nets or the Bucks in playoff time… but it is currently a fun show in the NBA almost on par with the Golden State Warriors or Phoenix Suns out West.

The Brooklyn Nets are playing Kevin Durant way too much this season.  Kevin is only 1 ½ seasons clear of surgery and rehab for a torn Achilles.  If anything pops, anything pulls, anything tears… the whole league will look back at Kevin’s minutes and wag a finger at rookie head coach Steve Nash and the team’s executives.  The problem with Durant’s minutes is Kyrie Irving.  The Nets have a selfish superstar point guard who isn’t vaccinated and believes the world is flat.  Kyrie’s unvaccinated status initially forced him to sit the whole first half of the season… then a desperate Nets team decided to bring him back in to play in road games (he isn’t allowed in home games in NY), even though they initially said they weren’t interested in a part time player.  They are interested now.  The vacuum left by Kyrie’s absence is being filled by Kevin Durant.  The team also has former MVP James Harden to complete a true star player trio, James Harden sat out in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers last game because of a hyper-extended knee… it is reported he will play against the Bulls.  During the Nets’ loss to the Trail Blazers Kyrie was offended by young Blazer Nassir Little diving for a loose ball and contacting Irving on the way.  Kyrie declared “there is no place for that in our game”.... So vaccinations don’t work, the world is flat, and professional basketball players shouldn’t hustle?  The Nets have only won 4 of their last ten games, and only gone 2-8 ATS in that span.  They are struggling.  This Nets’ struggle is why the Bulls are in first place in the first place.

The Chicago Bulls front office performed some run of the mill miracles this past offseason.  They followed the trade for C Nikola Vucevic with a discovery of Lonzo Ball’s long absent 3PT shot (he’s a good shooter now) and the resurrection of DeMar DeRozan’s game from 4 seasons ago when he was with the Toronto Raptors. They also were rewarded for giving SG Alex Caruso the benefit of the doubt that he could play more than the Los Angeles Lakers were allowing him to show. All of it makes up a fine success story.  There is fun and energy back in the United Center not seen since the glory days of Derrick Rose’s youngest ever MVP run (I wouldn’t dare compare them to MJ’s Glory Days).  The Bulls were on a powerful 9-game winning streak until they lost their last game to the Dallas Mavericks, the result is 9-1 over their last ten games while going 5-5 ATS.  This run coincided with a dreadful Nets 10 game stretch and a mediocre ten games by the Milwaukee Bucks… the result is the Bulls are #1 in the Eastern Conference and if SG Zach LaVine and SF DeMar DeRozan keep playing off each other so well… they may never give it up!  Another scary thought about the strength of this group is they are operating while quality young SF Patrick Williams is out with a perilunate dislocated left wrist.  His timetable for return is Late April.  If the Bulls hold the #1 spot and stay relatively healthy they will get even stronger and deeper for the start of the playoffs.

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The Nets are 25-14 on the season, but 15-24 ATS.  They have logged 18 Overs and 21 Unders.  They are 14-4 in road games.

The Bulls are 26-11 on the season, but 22-15 ATS.  They have notched 18 Overs and 19 Unders.  They are 14-4 in home games.

The Nets are 7th in the league in scoring with 110.9 points per game, 11th in rebounds with 45.6 per, and 10th in AST/TO ratio with 1.8.  They are shooting 4th in FG%, 17th in 3PT%, and 1st in FT%.  On defense they are 18th while allowing 108.6 ppg from opponents.

The Bulls are 8th in the league in scoring with 110.9 points per game, 29th in rebounds with 42.8 per, 9th in AST/TO ratio with 1.8.  Before you focus on the rebounds, remember good shooting teams simply have less rebounds to go after, so it can be a little deceiving.  They are shooting 2nd in FG%, 1st in 3PT%, and 4th in FT%... those are great numbers.  On the defensive side the Bulls rank 14th while giving up 107.6 ppg to opponents.  

Our prediction for Wednesday, January 12th is….  Bulls 118 - Nets 112

The Bulls will have to deal with PG/SG Kyrie Irving which could be a blessing… Coach Steve Nash is beginning to hear the arguments about Kevin Durant’s minutes and may hope Irving and Harden can pick up some of the time… while they are both great players, Irving has rust and Harden gets winded.  The drama of the team in Brooklyn almost demands the Nets lose just so we can see another news cycle meltdown.

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These teams are wildly even.
Brook vs Chi is 4-4 ATS over the last 3 seasons.
Brook vs CHi is 2-2 ATS in Chicago over the last 3 seasons.
Brooklyn is 2-8 ATS versus Central division opponents this season.
Chicago is 6-3 ATS versus Atlantic Division opponents this season.
Brooklyn is 12-26 ATS in January games the last 3 seasons. (0-6 ATS this season)

Nets: PF Nic Claxton (hamstring) Quest ** LaMarcus Aldridge (foot) Out ** PG Kyrie Irving (ankle) Quest ** SG (knee) Probable ** SG Joe Harris (ankle) Out

Bulls:  SF Patrick Williams (wrist) Out, SG Alec Caruso (ankle) Out

Nets: SF Kevin Durant, PF DeAndre Bembry, C Blake Griffin, SG David Duke JR PG James Harden

Bulls: PF Derrick Jones Jr, SF Demar DeRozan, C Nikola Vucevic, Pg Lonzo Ball, SG Zach LaVine

Nets

Points: Kevin Durant 29.8

Assists: James Harden 9.7

Rebounds: James Harden 8.1

Steals: Kyrie Irving 2.0

Blocks: Nic Claxton 1.2

Bulls

Points: DeMar DeRozan 26.4

Assists: Lonzo Ball 5.1

Rebounds: Nikola Vucevic 11.5

Steals: Alex Caruso 2.0

Blocks: Nikola Vucevic 1.1

Nets:  Steve Nash.  Coach Nash is an NBA legend.  Two time MVP as a point guard who led the league in assists again and again and again.

Bulls: Billy Donovan.  Coach Donovan has his best roster as an NBA head coach so far.  He has a Championship pedigree having won back to back NCAA tournaments as a college coach.