Chicago Bulls vs Nuggets Prediction 28 January 2025

🔊Can Chicago, with the support of their home fans, stand up to Denver? The Canadian team is not in the best shape, having serious issues recently achieving the desired results. However, the Nuggets themselves approach the upcoming clash with a terrible mood, having suffered a crushing defeat from Minnesota (104-133) on the night of January 25. We recommend checking our prediction before placing a bet.

Head-to-Head

In head-to-head matchups, Denver undoubtedly has the advantage in results. Over a stretch of 40 games, Chicago achieved a positive result in 15 cases, while the Nuggets triumphed 25 times. Last season, the teams faced off 2 times, and in both instances, the representative of the Western Conference was stronger - 123-101 at home and 114-106 away.

Chicago Bulls

Chicago has hit a rough patch at the most inopportune moment. The team is in a fierce battle for the top 10 of the Eastern Conference standings, and a stretch with 7 losses in 8 games significantly complicates achieving their goals. In most cases, the Bulls displayed low-quality basketball. In the last game against an undermanned Philadelphia, the Canadian team also looked quite dismal. Chicago, supported by home fans, lost by a margin of 12 points and couldn't even surpass the 100-point mark (97-109). The coaching staff needs to come up with something to pull their players out of this "emotional hole."

Denver Nuggets

Denver can be quite satisfied with their recent results. Yes, on the night of January 25, the team was utterly destroyed by Minnesota (104-133), but before that, they had a decent winning streak. Even in the game against the Timberwolves, Mike Malone's team struggled from the start - a huge number of unforced turnovers (20), poor three-point shot conversion (34.4%), and many lost rebounds under their own basket (18). Even Jokic had a poor game, despite recording a double-double (20 points, 3 rebounds, and 11 assists). However, Denver continues to hold a place in the top 4 of the Western Conference standings, so nothing critical happened.

Editor's Prediction

According to sportsbooks, Denver should not face serious problems in the upcoming matchup. We certainly agree with them on this matter, but due to the Nuggets' tendency to lose to weaker opponents, betting on outcomes/spreads is not the best idea. There is a more interesting option for betting - total points under (244.5). For some reason, many expect a high-scoring game in the upcoming match, despite most head-to-head encounters not being characterized by this. For example, in 5 of the last 6 games, the teams combined for no more than 240 points. The exception was the game on October 13, 2023, during the preseason (133-124 after two overtimes). Moreover, Chicago plays more or less reliably on defense at home.