NBA: Chicago Bulls vs. Dallas Mavericks Preview, Odds, Predictions, Picks

Both the Chicago Bulls and the Dallas Mavericks are in problems. They have the same record, 38-42, but are outside the playoff zone. The Bulls are 10th in the East, two games behind the Raptors who are ninth, and all things considered, they won’t be able to go up or down. The Mavs are in trouble, with the same record as the Thunder, who holds the 10th position and a negative tiebreaker. Luka and Kyrie are far from the T-Wolves who are ninth and also have a better head-to-head record than the Mavs.

Preview

Chicago Bulls (38-42, +260) come from back-to-back defeats, which were severe setbacks for their playoff ambitions. At first, the Bulls lost to Atlanta Hawks at the United Center, 123-105, and after that, suffered an expected failure in Milwaukee, where Bucks triumphed 105-92. 

That defeat against the Hawks was something that deflated both the team and the fans, because these two units were direct rivals in the battle for a better position in the play-in tournament. There isn’t too much time for Chicago to recover, and they have to be much sharper in order to reach the playoff spot. 

Zach LaVine was terrible in Milwaukee, with only 13 points. Previously, he dropped 26 against the Hawks, but he shot from downtown 2-for-15 combined in these two contests. 

Who is the problem in Dallas? pic.twitter.com/9ChHtyonou

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 3, 2023

Dallas Mavericks (38-42, -345) don’t have too many choices but to win in the remaining two events and try to jump over the Thunder. Even if they post those two triumphs, that won’t guarantee anything, but the Mavs have no other options.

After an extremely tough schedule that saw them cruising through the East and losing three in a row, Jason Kidd’s team won in the most recent event at home against the Kings, 123-119. This unit endured another close game, following tight losses against the 76ers, the Heat and the Hawks on the above-mentioned tour. 

Ten of Dallas’ last 14 games went under, and they have only two victories over the most recent nine events. Their form declined in the worst possible moment, and even Kyrie Irving couldn’t prevent that from happening. We need to say that Uncle Drew plays decent basketball, but simply, the Mavs aren’t properly selected, and the team has a massive imbalance when looking at the back and the frontcourt. 

Head to Head Games

Chicago hammered the Mavs in the opening game of the year, winning 144-115 at the United Center. DeMar DeRozan scored28 for the hosts, with nine boards, Vucevic had 20, and Zach LaVine 16 points, the same as Patrick Williams and Derrick Jones Jr. Luka didn’t play in this event, so Spencer Dinwiddie stepped up with 27 points; Christian Wood had 21 and JaVale McGee scored 18 off the bench.

Prediction

The Bulls are safe and sound in No.10 in their conference, and they arrive in Dallas without big motives and hopes. That can’t be applied to the hosts who are in a “do or die” situation and can’t allow themselves to lose. A defeat would mean that this unit won’t even be in the play-in, and that’s something nobody hoped to see following last year’s conference finals. We would go with hosts covering a 7.5-point spread.

Pick: Dallas Mavericks -7.5 -110