Nets vs Bulls

Chicago, sitting ninth in the East at 19-22 and trying to stay above the play-in cut line, should be in a strong spot to avenge Friday’s three‑point road loss now that the rematch shifts to the United Center and Brooklyn has to play without 25.8‑points‑per‑game engine Michael Porter Jr. (rest) and fellow starter Drake Powell. With the Nets only just snapping a five‑game skid against these same Bulls, still 12-27 overall and 6-12 on the road, and already 0-7 this season when Porter doesn’t suit up, Chicago’s deeper offensive core of Nikola Vucevic, Coby White and Kevin Huerter looks better positioned to control this one wire-to-wire despite Josh Giddey being doubtful. Given the heavy juice on the favorite and the Nets’ recent competitiveness head-to-head, Bulls -250 on the moneyline earns a solid but not elite B grade for likelihood versus payout. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 18/01/2026 09:39 ([statmuse.com](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/team/2025-26-brooklyn-nets-33/2026?utm_source=openai))

Brooklyn’s offense without Porter and Powell suddenly leans on young creators and a middling 108.9 points per game profile, which is a concern against a Bulls team that has already shown it can bog down when Giddey sits and Tre Jones and Vucevic have to do more initiating. Recent trends back a slower, lower‑scoring script: the Nets have gone under in five of their last six overall, Bulls totals have skewed under more often than not at home, and this matchup has produced six straight unders in Chicago, including a 113-103 final at the United Center last month and a 112-109 nail-biter in Brooklyn on Friday that barely crept above today’s number. Combine that with midseason fatigue, tightened scouting in the second leg of a home‑and‑home, and both sides hovering around the East’s middle tier with every possession mattering, and Under 220.5 at -110 looks slightly mispriced in our favor, good for a B+ grade. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 18/01/2026 09:39 ([statmuse.com](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/brooklyn-nets-record-this-season?utm_source=openai))

Nikola Vucevic and the Bulls haven’t been reliable spread crushers lately (2-5 ATS in their last seven), but laying -6.5 at home looks more attractive once you factor in that Brooklyn is 1-5 straight up in its last six, just snapped the league’s longest active losing streak, and now has to cover without its primary scorer and late‑game shot maker in Porter on the second leg of this home‑and‑home. Chicago still owns a meaningful situational edge with a 12-9 home mark versus the Nets’ 6-12 road record, plus greater frontcourt stability with Vucevic and Jalen Smith against a Nets group that has struggled on the glass and has leaned heavily on rookies like Noah Clowney and Danny Wolf. While Brooklyn’s recent 6-2 ATS run against Chicago and league‑average overall ATS record keep this from being a premium spot, the combination of injuries, venue, and play‑in urgency for a 19-22 Bulls team hovering around ninth in the East nudges me toward Bulls -6.5 (-105) with a cautious B- grade. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 18/01/2026 09:39 ([statmuse.com](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/team/2025-26-brooklyn-nets-33/2026?utm_source=openai))