Both the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets have been mired in the throes of mediocrity this season, with the Bulls limping to an 8-13 record and the Nets not far ahead at 9-12. While both teams figure to eventually be players in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes, they currently sit in 11th and ninth in the Eastern Conference, respectively.
With both teams making major offseason moves — the Nets traded forward Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks and the Bulls lost forward DeMar DeRozan in a sign-and-trade with the Sacramento Kings — both teams’ expectations coming into the season were unclear. What should have been clear was that shooting guard Zach Lavine would be a walking bucket. The two-time All-Star is averaging 22.0 points this season and shooting a career-high 42.9 percent from distance.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Bulls (-340) are heavy favorites and the point total is set to 233. Below, I’ve highlighted my favorite prop bet centered around Lavine.
Best Zach Lavine Prop Bet on DraftKings Sportsbook
Zach Lavine 25+ Points (+105)
The Bulls defense is awful, giving up 124.2 points per game, the worst mark in the league. But with a 116.9 defensive rating, the Nets’ unit isn’t much better; Brooklyn is only bolstered by the fact that its offense plays at the league’s slowest pace. By contrast, the Bulls operate the league’s fastest, so Monday night’s battle of two eminently movable objects might be a shootout.
Lavine should be the primary beneficiary. The 11-year veteran has been in relatively good form in recent games, putting up 29 points in a narrow loss to Boston on November 29. He should have plenty of opportunity to fire away against a banged-up Nets team that has seen a small uptick in pace since its top scorer, guard Cam Thomas, went down with a hamstring strain on November 25.
I am especially bullish on Lavine given that the Nets have been on the receiving end of some incredible opponent shooting luck so far this season. Brooklyn has allowed a relatively healthy shot diet, but opponents have made 48.5 percent of their attempts, the third-highest percentage in the league. With Lavine enjoying by far the most efficient shooting season of his career, I expect that trend to continue on Monday.
Led by veteran point guard Dennis Schroder, the Nets are a scrappy team, so I don’t expect this game to be a blowout. That means Lavine will be staying in the game and firing away.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
