2 min read • February 09, 2022
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Hornets vs Bulls
Advantage: Hornets
As if their woes couldn't worsen, the Bulls, who are 6-10 since Jan. 12, will be without surprising rookie Ayo Dosunmu likely through the All-Star break with a concussion.
He joins a vaunted troop of Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Patrick Williams, and Derrick Jones Jr. that could probably compete on a nightly basis as their own starting 5.
This is not including Zach Lavine, who is available but hampered by back spasms.
Despite all of this, the Bulls are favored by 1 point on the road, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
That is in part due to Charlotte dealing with its own losses, as forwards Gordon Hayward, Cody Martin, and Jalen McDaniels are out with ankle, achilles, and ankle injuries, respectively.
The real advantage will come in the backcourt, as LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, and Kelly Oubre Jr. should be able to exhaust the short-handed Bulls, who will rely on DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic to go score-for-score.
The Hornets, additionally, sport a 15-10 record against the spread at home, among the best in the NBA.
Jazz vs Warriors
Advantage: Jazz
Despite being in the midst of a bounce-back 41-13 campaign and riding a 9-game win streak, the Warriors are beat up, especially in the frontcourt.
Draymond Green, James Wiseman, Nemanja Bjelicia, Andre Iguodala, and Klay Thompson are all inactive tomorrow – Thompson to rest ahead of Golden State's game against the Knicks Thursday – and Kevon Looney is questionable with a left quad contusion he sustained Monday night.
This all contributes to the Warriors being 3-point underdogs in Salt Lake City.
The Jazz, meanwhile, have won 2 in a row in dominant fashion since the return of Donovan Mitchell. Utah this season is 28-14 with Mitchell in the lineup this season, and only 5-7 without him.
Those last 2 games were won in part because of oscillating great performances from big men Hassan Whiteside and Udoka Azubuike, who will have free reign in the paint and give Utah extra possessions.
Even without Rudy Gobert – still out with a calf strain – the Jazz have enough big bodies to throw at the Warriors, who will turn to rookies Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody for major power forward and center minutes.
This is all said with trepidation, however, as Stephen Curry and co. have been in this kind of quagmire before, and twice this season have beaten the Jazz without Green, Thompson, and Iguodala.
If the Warriors are to lose before the break, the Jazz have the best chance at it.
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