Chicago Bulls vs Houston Rockets Prediction NBA Picks 3/21/24

Houston Rockets (33-35) vs Chicago Bulls (34-35)

Game Info: Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 8:00 pm (Toyota Center)

Betting Odds: Houston Rockets -5.5 -- Over/Under: 214.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

The Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets meet Thursday in NBA action at the Toyota Center. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Bulls vs Rockets prediction.

Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls have been in decent shape as they've won six of their last nine games overall and they will be aiming for a third straight victory after sneaking past the Trail Blazers in a 110-107 home win on Monday. DeMar DeRozan led the team with 28 points and six assists on 10 of 17 shooting, Ayo Dosunmu added 23 points with 10 assists while Nikola Vucevic chipped in with 22 points, nine rebounds and two steals. As a team, the Bulls shot 44 percent from the field and 11 of 33 from the 3-point line as they looked to be in trouble when they squandered a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter, but they kept their composure and closed the final 2:28 on an 8-2 run to come away with the narrow victory at home.

Houston Rockets

Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets have been in red-hot form as they've won eight of their last nine games overall and they will be eager to build on their current six-game win streak after blowing past the lowly Wizards in a 137-114 road win on Tuesday. Jalen Green led the team with 42 points, 10 rebounds and three assists, Ausar Thompson added 25 points with 10 rebounds on 10 of 12 shooting while Jabari Smith Jr chipped in with 18 points and 14 rebounds. As a team, the Rockets shot 51 percent from the field and 13 of 39 from the 3-point line as they struggled to get any separation despite scoring 39 points in the first quarter, until they exploded for 41 points in the third quarter to pull away and make it look easy in the end. Aaron Holiday had a rough game as he shot just two of seven for his seven points, while Dillon Brooks scored just two points on one of seven shooting. The Rockets will take on the Jazz after this one.

Houston Rockets Player Facts

Fred VanVleet ranks 4th amongst qualified players for assist:turnover ratio (4.7) this season.
Jabari Smith Jr. ranks 20th amongst qualified players for rebounds per game (8.6) this season.

Chicago Bulls Player Facts

Nikola Vucevic ranks 4th in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for rebounds per game (10.6) this season.
DeMar DeRozan ranks 8th in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for points per game (23.2) this season.

Matchup/League Facts

The Rockets rank 1st in the league for opponent free throw percentage this season (75.2%).
The Rockets rank 2nd in the league for opponent three-point percentage this season (34.7%).
The Bulls rank 30th in the league for opponent three-point field goals attempts per game this season (39.4).
The Bulls rank 29th in the league for opponent three-point field goals made per game this season (14.4).

Bulls vs Rockets prediction

The Bulls could be shorthanded again with Coby White and Alex Caruso both listed as questionable, while the Rockets will again be without Alperen Sengun and Cam Whitmore. The Bulls are playing good baskestball at the moment, but they're still banged up and they looked far from convincing in their narrow win over the Trail Blazers on Monday, so I'm more interested in taking the Rockets who are playing their best basketball of the season at the moment. I'm confident that the Rockets can extend their winning streak with another victory here, but the Bulls are a pesky team and I think they can hang around right till the end in this spot.