Things are going from bad to worse for the Chicago Bulls as they suffered a tough 98-91 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. The Bulls not only lost for the sixth time in the last seven games but they also lost Dwyane Wade for the rest of the season after fracturing his right elbow in the fourth quarter. With Wade now out of the lineup, the Bulls’ championship odds have dramatically shifted with Chicago now pegged at +20,000 to win this year’s title.
The Bulls, who now trail the eighth-seeded Pistons by one game, will look to get their season back on track when they square off with the Washington Wizards later tonight. One guy who needs to step up for Chicago in this contest is Rajon Rondo. In the two games since he was re-inserted into the starting lineup, the Bulls have outscored their opponents, 39-4, in transition. Rondo scored 17 points to lead Chicago in the loss to Memphis.
They have already faced the Wizards thrice this season, with Washington leading the series, 2-1. Chicago defeated Washington, 106-95, in their first encounter on November 12. The Wizards, however, returned the favor, winning their next two meetings with the Bulls by an average of six points. Jimmy Butler has been Chicago’s main man when facing Washington, averaging 28.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and seven assists in two games against the Wizards this season.
The Bulls are 3-7 SU and 4-6 ATS in their last 10 road games.
What in the world is happening to Washington? The Wizards succumbed to their second consecutive defeat with a heart-breaking 112-107 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. The Wizards had no answer for Seth Curry and Dirk Nowitzki, who scored 20 of their combined 39 points in the fourth quarter. It was another disappointing result for the Wizards who dropped down to third in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Wizards will look to return to the win column when they host the Chicago Bulls later tonight. For Washington to grab the much-needed victory, it needs to improve on its play on the defensive end. In the Wizards’ last two defeats, opponents have scored an average of 115.5 points. That’s way above their scoring defense average of 106.9 points. To make matters worse for head coach Scott Brooks, his team also committed a whopping 12 turnovers in the loss to Dallas.
The onus now is on Bradley Beal to stabilize the Washington offense. He leads the Wizards in scoring this season with 23.2 points a game. He scored 24 points and dished out five assists in the loss to the Mavs. Beal’s averaging 20.0 points and four assists in two meetings with Chicago this season. His backcourt partner John Wall, on the other hand, is a major doubt for Friday’s clash after suffering an ankle injury in the second quarter of that game against the Mavs. He did return, though, in that ballgame, scoring 13 points in the final period.
The Wizards are 6-4 SU and 3-7 ATS in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
Washington stops the bleeding with a comprehensive 107-92 victory.
