Charlotte Hornets vs Chicago Bulls Prediction and Betting Tips | Dec. 13, 2024 

The Chicago Bulls take on the Charlotte Hornets on Friday in a battle between two bottom-six Eastern Conference squads. The matchup marks their first of four games this season.

Charlotte (7-17) secured an unexpected 113-109 road win over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, led by sophomore wing Brandon Miller's team-high 26 points. The victory snapped the shorthanded Hornets' eight-game losing streak.

On the other hand, Chicago (10-15) has dropped two consecutive games, most recently falling 108-100 during Sunday's home contest against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Hornets and Bulls each enter Friday with extensive injury reports and subpar defenses. Consequently, their showdown is unlikely to generate significant fan excitement. Nevertheless, both teams' young players should receive developmental opportunities.

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Charlotte Hornets vs Chicago Bulls odds, preview and prediction

The Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bulls' clash is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on Friday at United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

The game will be broadcast on CHSN and FDSSE. It can also be streamed on NBA League Pass and FuboTV.

Moneyline: Hornets (+170) vs Bulls (-205)

Spread: Hornets +5.0 (-110) vs Bulls -5.0 (-110)

Total (Over/Under): o232.0 (-110) vs u232.0 (-110)

Editor's note: The odds could change closer to tipoff, as the odds listed were based on available information at the time of writing.

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Charlotte Hornets vs Chicago Bulls preview

Charlotte remains without its top player, star point guard LaMelo Ball, who has been sidelined since Nov. 27 with a left calf strain. Miller has stepped up during his six-game absence, averaging 27.2 points per game. Nevertheless, his team has gone 1-5, struggling to generate consistent offense without Ball's 3-point shooting and playmaking.

The Hornets rank just 26th in offensive rating (109.1) and 21st in defensive rating (114.7). However, they could receive an offensive boost on Friday. Veteran forward Miles Bridges is considered questionable to play in his first game since Nov. 19 after nursing a nagging right knee injury.

As for Chicago, it has been an above-average offensive team, sitting 11th in offensive rating (113.7). Its veteran stars Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic are enjoying bounce-back campaigns, with guards Coby White and Josh Giddey providing serviceable production.

However, LaVine (back) is listed as probable entering Friday, while Vucevic (illness), Giddey (back) and forward Patrick Williams (foot) are considered questionable. So, the Bulls could be without multiple starters, giving a heavier workload to players like White and wing Ayo Dosunmu, who has performed well lately.

On the defensive end, Chicago has been even worse than Charlotte, ranking 27th in defensive rating (117.4). So, Friday's matchup will likely feature little defensive resistance.

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Charlotte Hornets vs Chicago Bulls projected starting lineups

With the Hornets still banged up, their starting lineup could be as follows:

PG: Vasilije Micic SG: Brandon Miller SF: Josh Green PF: Miles Bridges (GTD)/Tidjane Salaun (GTD)/Cody Martin C: Nick Richards

Meanwhile, the potentially shorthanded Bulls could trot out the following starting five:

PG: Josh Giddey (GTD)/Lonzo Ball (GTD)/Ayo Dosunmu SG: Coby White SF: Zach LaVine (GTD)/Dalen Terry PF: Patrick Williams (GTD)/Ayo Dosunmu C: Nikola Vucevic (GTD)/Jalen Smith

Editor's note: These are projected starting lineups and could change as players' availabilities are updated closer to game time.

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Charlotte Hornets vs Chicago Bulls betting tips

Miller's points prop is 25.5. The 2023 No. 2 draft pick has scored 26-plus points in four of his last five games. So, he should hit the over against the Bulls' lackluster defense.

Meanwhile, White's points prop is 18.5. The offensive-minded guard is in a shooting slump, tallying 13 points or fewer in three of his last four outings. He has also shot sub-40.0% in four straight contests.

However, White is still averaging 18.1 ppg through 23 appearances. So, he should have a prime opportunity to get back on track against an undermanned Hornets squad and hit the over.

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Charlotte Hornets vs Chicago Bulls prediction

While both teams are depleted, Chicago still projects to have more offensive firepower and depth. Meanwhile, it has the homecourt advantage. So, it should pull out a victory while covering the spread (-5.0).

Additionally, the Bulls have been involved in numerous high-scoring affairs lately. However, the Hornets seemingly lack the scoring prowess for the teams to surpass their over/under point total (232.0). Charlotte hasn't been involved in a game with 232-plus points scored over its last eight contests.

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