WE look to get back to it in the NBA on a busy Tuesday in the association.
Here’s the best value on offer for punters today.
Charlotte Hornets @ Chicago Bulls
Charlotte will look to keep things rolling as they head to Chicago for a showdown with the Bulls.
Both of these sides will be fighting for a spot in the playoffs, making these contests important with heavy congestion forming in a tight and evenly-fought Eastern Conference.
The Hornets have really turned a corner and are currently producing high quality basketball – particularly on the offensive end of the floor.
What is of particular interest is the success of lineups utilizing PJ Washington at the 5-spot.
This lineup is by far Charlotte’s best attacking combination and has them ranked in the 98% percentile for offensive rating, per CleaningTheGlass. The impressive output they garner scoring the ball does come at a cost however, with their defensive rating using this lineup sitting in the 5th percentile on the season – allowing almost 120 points per 100 possessions in minutes played this season.
Chicago has shown glimpses that they are a much improved side with their new recruits and have produced some solid performances on both ends of the court. Their consistency remains a concern, but with big man Nikola Vucevic back into the lineup we will get a better gauge of how this side will look moving forward.
While they have outperformed on the defensive end of the court in the early goings, it wouldn’t surprise me to see some regression in this area as they find their feet under new coach Billy Donovan. Chicago is stacked with potent attacking options though, which gives them a number of ways to break down this Charlotte defence that can often put up the resistance of a wet tissue.
With both sides capable of attacking and converting efficiently in transition, and both being in the top five in the league for pace over the past fortnight I can absolutely see this game being played at a fast pace with plenty of transition buckets.
Charlotte especially will want to push the rock with their smaller lineups in the absence of Plumlee and coupling this with their perimeter scoring I think we could be in for a high offensive outing for both sides.
My numbers have this total much closer to 230 so we are getting a nice edge on the current market.
Our best bet: Over 222.5 points $1.90 at PlayUp
