Written by Rohit Ghosh
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Chicago Bulls vs Phoenix Suns: NBA Friday Night
The Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns match up Friday night on ESPN with the Bulls expecting to have Dwyane Wade back in the lineup after missing Wednesday's game vs Golden State. Chicago may not have Jimmy Butler, though, who continues to deal with a bruised heel injury. Losers of eight of their last nine, the Suns will look to turn things around when the host the Bulls.
AccuScore has expert NBA picks against the spread and on Over/Unders for every game on the schedule: Expert NBA Picks
What to Watch For
Not a Bad Road Trip, So Far: Chicago has wins over OKC and Sacramento on this road trip, to go with an OT loss in Houston and a blowout loss in Golden State. With that said, though, it's fair to assess the road trip as a success so far. They've had some major injury issues, but have managed to stay consistent. One of the biggest reasons for that has been Robin Lopez. He's been a lone point of reliability this season for Chicago and heads into Friday's matchup after putting up 17 points, 10 rebounds and four assists against the Warriors. He's had to step his offensive production a bit with both Butler and Wade dealing with injuries.
AccuScore projection: Lopez is projected to finish with 9.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.
Booker is the Future: In Phoenix, it's clear the future of the franchise rests largely on the shoulders of Devin Booker. Not a bad choice given his improvements this season. He's coming off a 20-point performance in Memphis Wednesday, starting a new 20-point streak for the future all star. From Jan. 1 to Feb. 4, Booker scored 20 or more points in 16 consecutive games, setting a record for youngest player to record such a feat. Look for him to be extra aggressive at home Friday, especially from beyond the arc. During his previous stretch of 20-point games, Booker was shooting nearly 48 percent from beyond the arc.
AccuScore projection: Booker is projected to finish with 20.6 points, and 2.7 assists.
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Bulls Betting Trends
• Chicago is 5-0 against the spread (ATS) in its last five games following a straight up (SU) loss of more than 10 points.
• Chicago is 4-1 ATS in its last five road games.
• Chicago is 4-1 ATS in its last five when the opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
Suns Betting Trends
• Phoenix is 0-4 ATS in its last four home games.
• Phoenix is 2-6 ATS in its last eight games overall.
• Phoenix is 2-5 ATS in its last seven games playing on just one day's rest.
