The Denver Nuggets (11-11) and Chicago Bulls (16-8) square off in a cross-conference matchup on Monday night at the United Center in Chicago, IL. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 P.M. EST.
Both teams are coming off of clutch victories.
Denver took down the Knicks on Saturday by a final score of 113-99. Meanwhile, the Bulls are fresh off of arguably their most important win of the season up to date. Chicago defeated the first-place Brooklyn Nets on Saturday 111-107 and now sit just a half-game back in the Eastern Conference behind Brooklyn.
Both of these teams will try and maintain their winning ways in this Monday night NBA affair.
Nuggets at Bulls Betting Preview
Chicago Bulls Preview: Maintain the Intensity
Oftentimes in sports, teams are subject to “letdown games” following a big win. Chicago recently defeated the Nets in a high-energy contest on the road. They will need to maintain that intensity against Denver on Monday.
The two-headed monster of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan were lethal in Saturday’s win.
LaVine posted 31 points to lead the team, along with 8 rebounds and 6 assists. He is now averaging over 25 points for the season.
DeRozan added 29 points and 6 rebounds. He leads Chicago in scoring with a per-game average of 26.4.
Lonzo Ball displayed his versatility in the victory with 8 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 steals. His overall impact has been extremely crucial to the Bulls’ success.
These three players have led Chicago to a seventh overall ranking in points per game with 110. Chicago also ranks fourth in the NBA in field goal percentage with a mark of 47.1 percent.
The talent is not in question. The Bulls will have an opportunity to win this game against Denver as long as they maintain the intensity.
Denver Nuggets Preview: Let the Joker be a Playmaker
The Nuggets enter play tied for fifth in the Western Conference standings. Despite their overall underperformance and injury-riddled season, the Nuggets still find themselves in the competitive picture.
Denver looked great in their recent road win against the Knicks.
Nikola Jokic produced a double-double with a team-leading 32 points and 11 boards. He also added 5 assists for good measure. The star big man is leading the team with 26.1 points, 6.4 assists, and 13.6 rebounds per game.
He has taken the term putting the team on your back to a whole new level.
Will Barton added 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists in the victory.
The Nuggets don’t score a lot of points per game. If they want to defeat the Bulls on Monday, they need to attack with Jokic and let him be a playmaker. Jokic can either find ways to score or dish the ball out to open shooters since the defense’s main focus will be on limiting him.
Denver can pull off the upset if they let Jokic A.K.A the “Joker” be a playmaker.
Who to Bet on Denver Nuggets at Chicago Bulls
I could see the Nuggets jumping out to an early lead in this game. Chicago might need some time to build the intensity back up.
However, expect the home crowd to fire them up and help them get their momentum back in the second half.
Despite another incredible outing from Nikola Jokic, expect the Bulls to earn the victory on Monday night.
Take the Bulls -4.
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