The Charlotte Hornets (9-28) travel to face off against the Chicago Bulls (18-23) on Friday, January 17th. This game will be played at United Center in Chicago and televised on CHSN. The Hornets are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Bulls are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Bulls. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Hornets vs Bulls

The Hornets Are Coming Off A Win

The Hornets improved to 9-28 on the season with a 117-112 road win over the Jazz on Wednesday. Charlotte was favored by 5.5 points but didn’t cover the spread, winning by five. The total score of 229 points went over the pre-game line of 221.5.

After Utah’s 11-0 run put them ahead early, Charlotte battled back. The teams played evenly in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, but the Hornets took control in the 4th, outscoring the Jazz 37-25 to seal the win.

The Bulls Are Coming Off A Win

The Bulls dropped to 18-23 on the season after a 110-94 loss to the Hawks on Wednesday. Chicago was favored by 6.5 points but failed to cover the spread, and the game’s total of 204 points fell well short of the 236-point over/under line.

A key moment came when the Hawks went on a 15-0 run, turning a 28-27 lead into 42-28. Chicago tried to rally in the 3rd quarter, outscoring Atlanta 31-25, but they couldn’t close the gap in the 4th, where they were outscored 24-16.

Hornets Offense Breakdown

Mark Williams’ dominant performance, shooting 85.7% from the field and scoring 31 points, led the Hornets to a win over the Jazz. Williams was especially impactful in the 4th quarter, adding 15 points. LaMelo Ball contributed 27 points and 9 assists, while Miles Bridges added 25 points and 10 rebounds.

As a team, the Hornets shot 52.9% from the field, though they struggled from three-point range, hitting just 30.8% with 12 made threes. Brandon Miller also played a key role, scoring 9 of his 20 points in the 3rd quarter.

Bulls Offense Breakdown

In their 110-94 loss to the Hawks, the Bulls struggled offensively, shooting 44.3% from the field and hitting just 6 threes at a 22.2% clip. Coby White led the team with 16 points, adding 9 of those in the 3rd quarter, despite shooting 35.7% overall.

Zach LaVine contributed 15 points, 5 of which came in the 4th quarter, shooting 53.8% from the field. Nikola Vučević added 14 points and 16 rebounds, scoring 6 points in the 2nd quarter.

Hornets Team Defense

Despite giving up 33 points in the 1st quarter, the Hornets tightened up defensively in the 2nd half, allowing just 25 points in both the 3rd and 4th quarters to secure the win. Overall, they gave up 112 points on 46% shooting from the field.

Charlotte limited the Jazz to 16 made threes on 37% shooting from deep. They also sent Utah to the line 17 times, where the Jazz converted 10 free throws. The Hornets finished with 34 defensive rebounds, 6 steals, and 6 blocks.

Bulls Team Defense

Despite a rough start, allowing 33 points in the 1st quarter, the Hornets tightened up defensively, giving up just 25 points in both the 3rd and 4th quarters to secure the win. They allowed the Jazz to shoot 46% from the field.

From beyond the arc, the Hornets held the Jazz to 16 made threes on 37% shooting. They also sent Utah to the line 17 times, where the Jazz converted 10 free throws. Charlotte recorded 34 defensive rebounds, allowed 9 offensive boards, and added 6 steals and 6 blocks.

Hornets vs Bulls Trends

• Although Charlotte has a straight up record of 1-4 in their last five road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 2-2-1. The team averaged 107 points per game in these games.
• When looking at their past ten home matchups, Chicago has an ATS record of 4-5-1 while averaging 119 per game. The team went 5-5 overall in these games.
• Going back to their previous five games as the underdog, Charlotte has an ATS mark of 3-1-1 while going 1-4 straight up.
• In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Bulls have a straight up record of 1-2 and an ATS mark of 1-2.

Hornets vs Bulls Prediction

We’re putting our money on the Bulls to win, and have the projected score sitting at 137-124. We also like them to cover the spread, so our recommendation is to bet on the Bulls at -4.5.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 235.5, and our model predicts the Hornets and Bulls to score a combined 261 points. We recommend betting on the over.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.