The Philadelphia 76ers have won eight straight games heading into Monday’s matchup with the suddenly surging Chicago Bulls.
Chicago has climbed into the No. 11 spot in the NBA in net rating and has a 1.5-game lead on the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference.
There’s a chance that these two teams could match up in the playoffs in the first round depending on how the East shakes out, but Philly would certainly have the edge given how it is playing lately.
Joel Embiid has moved into the top spot in the latest league MVP odds, and the Sixers are No. 3 in the league in net rating this season.
There are two key players on the injury report in this game, as P.J. Tucker is questionable for Philly and Alex Caruso is questionable for Chicago.
How should we bet on this matchup with the Sixers looking to move their winning streak to nine straight?
First, let’s break down the latest odds:
Bulls vs. Sixers odds, spread and total
Bulls vs. Sixers prediction and pick
The Sixers are on fire right now, winning five of their last six games by nine or more points, and oddsmakers are expecting them to do that again if they cover this spread on Monday.
As a home favorite this season, the Sixers are 18-12-1 ATS, one of the better marks in the NBA.
Even though the Bulls are playing better as of late, this is a game where Philly should dominate, especially since Chicago lacks an interior defender than can handle Embiid.
The Bulls are a top five defense in the league this season, but they rank just 23rd in offensive rating, 20 spots back of the Sixers who are third.
Philly is also on a tear over its last 10 games with a 13.6 net rating, by far the best in the league. For example, Chicago is fifth in that statistic at 4.5.
Until the Sixers cool off, there is no reason not to trust them to cover against an inferior team.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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