The Sacramento Kings host the Chicago Bulls on December 2, 2019, at the Golden 1 Center.
The Bulls head to California with a three-game losing streak, including two losses to the Portland Trail Blazers in four days. The Kings head home after going 1-3 SU on a four-game road trip but return to the Golden 1 Center with the momentum of a big win over the Denver Nuggets in their last outing. The Kings swept the Bulls in their two regular-season meetings last season and look to extend their dominance over the Bulls on Monday night.
The Chicago Bulls dropped to 6-14 SU on the season and 12th place in the Eastern Conference following their 103-107 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on November 29th. Chicago has lost three straight games and is just 3-7 SU in their last 10 games played despite getting big performances from Zach LaVine.
LaVine scored 36 and 28 in the Bulls’ losses to the Golden State Warriors and Blazers last week but he will need his teammates to step up their offense as well. The Bulls have scored 103 or fewer points in each of their last three games and haven’t been scoring enough points to put themselves in a position to win games.
Chicago ranks 25th in the league in scoring at 106.1 points per game and they are allowing their opponents to score an average of 110.3 points per game this season. The Bulls are also 22nd in rebounding at 44.1 boards grabbed per contest and they are 22nd in passing at 23.2 dimes per outing.
After a slow start to the 2019-20 season which saw them go winless in their first five games of the season, the Sacramento Kings are starting to win games. Sacramento is 8-5 SU in their last 13 games played and they are slowly showing the kind of team that people expected them to be before the start of the season.
The Kings suffered back to back close setbacks to the Celtics and Sixers last week but head home on the heels of a big 100-97 overtime win over the Denver Nuggets in Mile High in their last outing. Harrison Barnes scored a season-high 30 points against the Nuggets while Buddy Hield added 21 for Denver.
Sacramento ranks 28th in the NBA in scoring at 104.1 points per game this season. The Kings are next to last in rebounding at 41.8 boards grabbed per contest and they are 23rd in passing at 22.7 assists per outing. The Kings have the 11th best scoring defense in the league, allowing opponents to score just 107.6 points per game this season.
Chicago is 1-4 SU in their last five games played. The Bulls are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games played on the road. The Kings are 2-3 SU in their last five games played. Sacramento is 5-3 SU in eight home games played this season, 5-1 SU in their last six games against the Central Division, and 1-4 SU in their last five Monday games. Head to head, the Kings are 4-1 SU in their last five games played against the Bulls.
The Bulls have lost three in a row and have not scored more than 103 points in each of their last three games played. Two of those losses have been by double digits and the Bulls are struggling to score points right now. Chicago shot just 38.3% from the floor in their last game against the Blazers in Portland and they could struggle against Sacramento’s Top 10 defense.
Sacramento is 4-3 SU in their last seven games and went 1-3 SU on a recent four-game road trip. However, the Kings are coming off an impressive overtime win over the Denver Nuggets, snapping Denver’s six-game winning streak. The Kings also have one of the league’s low scoring offenses but this is a team that has won its last five games at home.
The Bulls are in a tough spot here as they are facing a Sacramento team which seems to have gotten their bearing back after a slow start. The Kings have won 8 out of their last 13 games and appear to be trending in the right direction. I can’t say the same for the Bulls who haven’t shown enough consistency this season.
PREDICTION: SACRAMENTO KINGS
The Bulls are 1-4 ATS in their last five games played. Chicago is 3-7 ATS in 10 road games played this season, and 4-1 ATS in their last five games played in December. The Kings are 12-1 ATS in their last 13 games played. Sacramento is 5-0 ATS in their last five games played at home. Head to head, the Kings are 11-3-1 ATS in their last 15 games played against the Bulls. Sacramento is also 5-2 ATS in their last seven home games played against Chicago.
Sacramento has beaten Chicago by at least six points in their last three meetings with the Kings covering the spread in all three games. The Kings have been playing well at home recently and have defeated teams like the Boston Celtics, Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets at the Golden 1 Center this season. Sacramento has plenty of names to call when it comes to the offense while the Bulls have relied mostly on Zach LaVine to deliver the points. I think the Kings have more firepower and they are playing well at home right now.
PREDICTION: KINGS -5
The total has gone under in five out of the last seven games played by the Bulls. The under is 6-4 in the Bulls’ 10 road games played this season, and also 5-1 in their last six games against the Western Conference. The total has gone under in five out of the last six games played by the Kings. Sacramento has seen the total go under in five out of their eight home games played this season. The under is also 5-0 in Sacramento’s last five games against the Eastern Conference. Head to head, the under is 7-2-1 in the last 10 games played between the Bulls and the Kings.
These teams have combined to score an average of 206.4 points per game in their last 10 meetings and 210 points per game in their last three head to head encounters. These two teams are in the bottom six in the league when it comes to scoring. Sacramento also has a Top 10 defense and Chicago is a middling team when it comes to playing D as well. Neither of these two teams has scored more than 103 points in their last three games each. I don’t think we’re going to see too many points on Monday.
PREDICTION: UNDER 211
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