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Bulls vs. Suns Betting Preview: Can Phoenix Keep Its Streak Alive?

Action Network contributor Corey Parson previews how to bet Wednesday's matchup between the Bulls and Suns.

Bulls vs. Suns Odds

Bulls Odds +5.5
Suns Odds -5.5
Over/Under 228.5
Time 9 p.m. ET
TV NBA League Pass
Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute NBA odds here.

The Phoenix Suns look to extend their winning streak to six games when they host the Chicago Bulls tonight in Phoenix. The Bulls are playing in the fourth game of their six-game road trip after securing a win over the Utah Jazz Monday night.

Can the Bulls keep the vibes going against a strong Suns team? Let’s take a look at how both teams have played lately and how they stack up on the floor.


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Bulls Slowly Finding Their Groove on the Road

The Bulls have been up and down to start the season. They’ve won three of their past four games, after going through a rough 1-6 stretch over the previous two weeks and falling to 6-10 for the season up to that point. The road back to .500 won’t be easy with the Suns on the schedule tonight and the Golden State Warriors up next Friday.

The Bulls’ latest victory — their most impressive win of the season in my opinion — was a come from behind win over the Jazz. I’m not just saying that because I had them on the moneyline. The Bulls outscored the Jazz 61-47 in the second half to win by seven points on the road as short underdogs. Their defense was most impressive; Chicago actually has the best Defensive Rating (103.8) in the second half of games this season.

The best time to wager on the Bulls is when they are fully healthy with DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic all in the lineup and none of those three are on the injury report. The Bulls have also been profitable on the road this season: 6-4 ATS away from home and 6-2 ATS as road underdogs.

Still, the Bulls have a tough test tonight in Phoenix; not only are the Bulls playing their fourth straight road game, but the Suns have won five games SU and are 3-2 ATS against the Bulls in their last five matchups.


Suns Continue to Rise in the West

The Suns are in a familiar place to start the season, sitting atop the Western Conference, like they have been for the better part of the last three seasons.

The Suns are riding high on their five-game winning streak and it could be six in a row if not for a Jordan-esque fadeaway from Lauri Markkanen on Nov. 18. This marks the Suns’ second five game winning streak despite only playing 20 games. To put it bluntly the Suns are a wagon: They rank third overall in points per 100 (117.0), 12th halfcourt offense (97.5) and sixth in transition, according to Cleaning the Glass.

The Suns are impressive straight up, but when it comes to their ATS record (12-8) they are solid as well. At home, the Suns are 8-4 ATS and 11-1 SU, including six consecutive wins on their own floor. Much of their success has come without Suns guard Chris Paul on the floor — he will miss his 10th straight game tonight — but his teammates have continued to step up in his absence.

Bulls-Suns Pick

It’s hard to get in front of the Suns the way they are playing right now. Their recent games with the Bulls have been competitive games for the most part. The Suns have won the games, but the Bulls have covered the spread on a few occasions (the spread was 6.5 or higher in those two covers for Chicago).

Tonight won’t be one of those nights.

I can’t get behind betting a team four games into a road trip, especially in this spot. Teams playing on the road following a game in Utah are 183-181-7 (50.3) ATS dating back to the 2004-05 season, according to Bet Labs. The head-to-head and historical trends just don’t look appealing for the Bulls here.

I like the Suns as 5.5-point favorites and would play them up to -7.5.

Pick: Suns -5.5 (Play to -7.5)