Los Angeles Lakers vs. Chicago Bulls Expert Pick – December 20, 2023

LOS ANGELES LAKERS VS. CHICAGO BULLS EXPERT PICK – DECEMBER 20, 2023 – Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA coverage here at Godzilla Wins.

My game of the day features the Los Angeles Lakers (16-12) taking on the Chicago Bulls (11-17). Let us look at which team has the edge heading into this matchup and why.

Tipoff

When: Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 8:00 PM ET

Where: The United Center, Chicago, IL

TV: NBC Sports Networks

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Chicago Bulls Odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Chicago Bulls — Regular Season Stats & Betting Trends

Los Angeles Lakers Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 113.8 PPG – 17^th
• Offensive Efficiency: 112.4 points per 100 possessions – 23rd
• Scoring Defense: 113.5 PPG – 14^th
• Defensive Efficiency: 112.1 points per 100 possessions – 7^th

Can The Lakers Right The Ship Against The Short-Handed Bulls?

The Lakers won the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament on Dec. 9. Since that time, the team has struggled, having dropped three of their last four decisions. This includes a 114-109 loss to the New York Knicks on Monday night.

Anthony Davis notched a double-double that included 32 points and 14 rebounds. LeBron James recorded his second triple-double of the season with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.

Unfortunately, the Lakers failed to capitalize on solid outings from their superstars. They will be looking to reverse this recent slump against a Bulls team that is missing its top scorer.

Chicago Bulls Season Stats:

• Scoring Offense: 109.9 PPG – 27th
• Offensive Efficiency: 113.4 points per 100 possessions – 18th
• Scoring Defense: 113.3 PPG – 13th  
• Defensive Efficiency: 116.9 points per 100 possessions –22nd

Can The Bulls Pull Off Their Seventh Win In 10 Games Without Zach LaVine?

On the other side of this matchup, the Bulls have posted losses in three of their previous five contests. However, they produced an impressive 108-104 win against the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night. This was no small feat, considering the Sixers have the third-best record in the conference.

Coby White paced Chicago’s offense with 24 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds. White has scored 20 or more points in six straight games.

Nikola Vucevic added 23 points, eight boards, and four dimes. Chicago has won six of its last nine games despite Zach LaVine being out of the lineup due to a foot injury. The Bulls are hoping to continue their recent success against a Lakers team looking to get back on track.

Now that we have all the preliminary stuff out of the way, let us take a deeper dive into the betting trends for both sides.

The Spread

The Lakers opened as a consensus two-point favorite. At the time of this writing, the line has moved to four points. Here are a few reasons to go with the home team to cover the spread.

• The Lakers are 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall.
• The Bulls are 8-1 ATS in their last nine contests.
• Chicago is 7-1 ATS in its last eight December games.

Prediction: Chicago Bulls (+4)

Over/Under

The projected over/under total opened at 224.5 points. The line has moved slightly to 224, with the “over” garnering 74 percent of the cash and 79 percent of the tickets. I am leaning towards taking the “over” in this matchup and here are the trends that contribute to that sentiment.

• The OVER total has hit in each of the Lakers’ previous seven outings.
• In Los Angeles’s last five games against Central Division teams, the OVER total cashed in four times.
• The OVER total hit for Chicago seven times in its last eight matchups against Los Angeles.
• In the Bulls’ last five home games, the OVER total prevailed four times.
• The OVER total has won 14 times in Chicago’s last 16 matchups against Western Conference opponents.

Prediction: OVER 224 points

Player Prop Bet

My key player for Chicago is Coby White. He currently has -120 odds of scoring 22.5 points and -110 odds finishing with less than 22.5 points. Here is a closer look at how White’s season splits compare the projected points total for this contest.

• In seven career games against the Lakers, White is averaging just 11.6 points per game.
• On the season, White is averaging a career-high 17.5 points per game.
• White has played 14 home games this season. He is averaging 17 PPG in those contests.
• In nine outings against Western Conference teams, CW is averaging 18.9 PPG.
• In the six instances in which he has played on Wednesdays, White’s points-per-game average is just 13.8.
• Over his last 10 outings, White is averaging 24.8 points per game.
• During December (an eight-game sample), he is averaging 25.8 PPG.
• White has exceeded the projected points total for this matchup eight times in his last 10 outings.

Given the recent body of work, I expect White to have another solid outing against the Lakers. Simply put, go with the “over” for White.

Prediction: Coby White OVER 22.5 points