The Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers wrap up a day-long NBA slate on Monday night.
The pregame narrative: The Inuit Dome will host two fatigued sides on the second halves of back-to-backs. However, the Clippers carry one of the best home records in the NBA, and I expect another for the home team. This +265 SGP also contains picks on Norman Powell and James Harden.
Check out my Bulls vs. Clippers same-game parlay predictions for Jan. 20.
Bulls vs. Clippers predictions
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Parlay: Clippers moneyline + Powell over 22.5 points + Harden over 8.5 assists (+265)
Clippers moneyline (-235): The Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard and they played last night, but that doesn’t worry me.
L.A. is 15-6 at home this season, and although Leonard has looked great in his short stints, he hasn’t played more than 25 minutes in a game to this point.
On the other side, the Bulls are on a road back-to-back and travelled last night from Portland to Los Angeles after a 113-102 loss to the Trail Blazers.
They’re 10-10 on the road and currently on a five-game losing streak.
This will also be their seventh game in 11 days, so there are multiple factors responsible for what I expect to be a fatigued team.
SGP legs
Powell over 22.5 points (-167): With Leonard absent, my confidence is sky-high for this prop.
My only concern is a blowout, but I simply can’t ignore how hot Powell has been.
- Powell is averaging 23.6 PPG.
- Since Dec. 16, he is 10-5 against this line.
It’s also worth noting that he’s cashed this wager in eight of his last 10 games without Kawhi.
The last time Leonard was sidelined, Powell scored 23 points in just 26 minutes during a 118-89 blowout win against the Trail Blazers.
That takes some of the concern away if this game turns into a blowout in the Clippers’ favour.
Harden over 8.5 assists (-122): Harden is going to have the ball more often with his superstar teammate resting on Monday.
On top of that, he has an advantageous positional matchup. The Bulls allow the most assists per game (10.8) to opposing point guards, per Fantasy Pros.
Chicago plays at an electrifying pace (102.9 possessions per 48 minutes), too. They rank second in the NBA in that department. Faster play means more offensive possessions and potential assists for Harden.
He’s not the stat sheet stuffer he used to be, but he can still dish out dimes with the best of the best. Harden ranks seventh in the NBA in assists per game (8.1).
Dating back to 2022, Harden has double-digit assists in six straight outings against the Bulls.
Picks made at 2:41 p.m. on 01/20/24.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.