Dallas improved their NBA odds by grabbing Caron Butler and Brandon Heywood from Washington, and they had a nine-game winning streak heading into Friday night's game in Sacramento. The Mavericks will then head to Chicago to face the Bulls, who will be out to snap a three-game skid.
Mavericks vs Bulls odds – Saturday, March 6, 8:00 PM ET
The Mavericks (41-21 as of Friday) ran their streak to nine with a 112-109 win over Minnesota, getting 26 points from Jason Terry, but he had to then leave because of an elbow from Corey Brewer. Terry will be out for at least a week after getting surgery on his broken jaw, but it'll probably be longer than that, and some are saying 10 weeks. Dirk Nowitzki had 22 points for the Mavericks, while Butler had 14, but he's been getting more comfortable with the Dallas offense. Butler has averaged 18.3 points over his last five games, and he'll get more chances with Terry out of the lineup.
The Bulls (31-30) really miss Joakim Noah's presence in the lineup, and they were outrebounded 46-31 in a 105-96 loss to Memphis at home on Thursday night. Luol Deng had 23 points, while Derrick Rose added 20 points for the Bulls, who scored just 16 points in the final quarter. It's been no surprise that the Bulls have had problems on offense this year as they've scored the sixth-fewest points in the league. If they could muster more offense, they would fare much better: the Bulls are 17-3 when they score 100 points, but they're 7-20 when the opposition scores 100 points.
US sportsbook odds (US sportsbook reviews) could favor the Mavericks on the road, given their recent hot streak, and they've won three of their last five in Chicago. They've won three of their last five overall against the Bulls, and this will be the first meetings of the season between these two. The Mavericks' offense has been rolling lately, and the Bulls are going to have to prepare for them without Terry, meaning more of an emphasis on Nowitzki and Butler. This could also leave Jason Kidd open, and the veteran point guard is shooting from the perimeter as well as he ever has. Look for the Bulls to try and get Rose the ball as much as possible, because it's been proven that Kidd has problems with point guards who can penetrate, and Rose is one of the best in the business at this. However, the Mavericks can play an up-and-down game or a halfcourt game, and that gives them the edge here.
