Bulls vs. Warriors Preview
OAKLAND, CA (AP) – Derrick Rose is coming off a big performance at the venue where he’ll play as an All-Star shortly. Until then, the Chicago Bulls star will focus on helping his team keep the pressure on in the race for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
View Current Golden State Warriors Odds
Rose and the Bulls go for their seventh straight win and 12th in 14 games Saturday night when they visit the Golden State Warriors, an opponent they’ve dominated of late.
Chicago (34-14) beat the Los Angeles Clippers 106-88 on Wednesday as it continued to roll past opponents. The Bulls have won by an average of 12.5 points during their six-game run and haven’t allowed more than 90 points in that stretch.
According to NBA odds and oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made the Bulls 3-point spread favorites for Saturday’s game against the Warriors. Current NBA Public Betting Information shows that 83% of more than 386 bets for this game have been placed on the Bulls -3.
Rose once again set the pace offensively in the last contest, scoring 32 points with 11 assists in a 106-88 win over the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. The guard will start there in the All-Star game Feb. 20.
“Our confidence is very high,” Rose said after going 11 of 18 from the field in the opener of a five-game western road trip. “We’re still under the radar, but that’s fine with us. We’re just going to try to keep getting wins. We’re jelling.”
The Bulls’ surge has them just a handful of games behind Boston and Miami for first place in the East. While Rose’s outstanding play has been a major factor, Chicago’s outstanding defense has also been critical.
The Bulls are allowing 91.9 points per game, placing them in the top three in the league in that category. That’s allowed them to get off to their best start since 1997-98, when they had the same record after 48 games en route to their sixth NBA title.
Continuing their run of defensive excellence could be difficult against the Warriors, who average 103.3 points, but the Bulls have had some success at shutting down Golden State in winning six of the last eight meetings.
Chicago has limited the Warriors to 91 or fewer points in four of those victories, the most recent a 120-90 home win Nov. 11.
The Warriors took the latest matchup at Oracle Arena 114-97 on Jan. 18, 2010, but the Bulls won the two previous games there.
Chicago will be taking on a Golden State club that’s won two in a row since a four-game losing streak. The Warriors, who knocked off Milwaukee 100-94 on Wednesday, allowed 81 points to Utah on Sunday and have put together their best two-game defensive stretch since allowing the same total number of points Dec. 9-11, 2009.
Golden State (21-27) is giving up 106.2 points a contest.
Monta Ellis, passed over for the All-Star game this week, and Stephen Curry combined for 15 points in the final 4:38 against the Bucks as the Warriors rallied for the victory.
It’s all right,” Ellis said of the All-Star snub. “We still have a chance to make the playoffs so we’re going to focus on that. It’s just a situation you can’t control.”
Ellis, who bounced back from a two-point, 1-of-9 shooting performance versus the Jazz, has averaged 23.9 points against Chicago – his most against any opponent.
Bulls forward Luol Deng, who scored a team-high 26 points with 11 rebounds and six assists Nov. 11, turned in his second 26-point game in the last three Wednesday.
Golden State is 2-3 on a season-high eight-game homestand.
Bet On Bulls vs. Warriors Odds
Want More From TheSpread.com? Follow us on Twitter and Facebook or Subscribe to Our News Feeds!