Bulls vs. Pistons NBA Best Bets for October 20 (Archive)
The Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons kick off their season in Detroit. Will the Pistons prevail in their home opener? The Bulls are favored by NBA odds, but are they the right NBA pick?
Chicago Bulls vs. Detroit Pistons
Wednesday, October 20, 2021 – 07:00 PM EDT at Little Caesars Arena
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons had a rough season last year, but they were rewarded with the number one overall pick in the draft. They selected Cade Cunningham. Cunningham is six foot eight, moves well with the ball, and has a unique basketball instinct.
Unfortunately for the Pistons, Cunningham suffered a sprained ankle during the preseason and he is out for the opener. I would expect the Pistons to be careful with their newly acquired franchise player, so I am not surprised to see the Pistons playing the season opener without Cunningham.
The Pistons had other injury concerns during the preseason. Second-year point guard Killian Hayes suffered a concussion but has returned to practice. Second-year player Saddiq Bey was a great draft pick. He was an immediate contributor for the Pistons last season. Bey also missed time during the preseason. Bey has had a partial return to practice.
Going off the most recent reports, I would expect that Hayes and Bey will both play, but will most likely be on a minutes limit.
The Pistons’ bright spot last season was the play of forward Jerami Grant. The Pistons paid a lot for Grant in the 2020 offseason, and he rewarded their faith by having the best season of his career.
Grant has always been a solid defender, but with the increased usage his scoring attributes really flourished. He was able to become a prolific scorer in his own right and is definitely a major building block in this Pistons’ rebuild of the program.
The Pistons will be relying on solid contributions from Josh Jackson, Saben Lee, Kelly Olynyk, and Isaiah Stewart.
Josh Jackson was on his way out of the league before playing his way into the rotation with the Pistons last year. Jackson has developed into a nice complimentary shot creator.
Saben Lee produced an excellent play on film last year as he really made a mark on the Pistons as the backup point guard. Lee was adept at controlling the team in reserve minutes, flashing his potential as a shooter and a leader.
Kelly Olynyk is new to the team but has been getting points and rebounds for years. Olynk’s veteran presence will definitely help the Pistons during times of turmoil.
Isaiah Stewart was another great draft pick. Stewart was a late first-round pick who turned out to be a solid rebounder and defender with a nice scoring touch.
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls had an aggressive offseason adding Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, and DeMar DeRozan. Ball and Caruso will provide great defense while DeRozan brings veteran leadership and clutch scoring.
Bulls fans hope it’ll be enough to push them over the top into a playoff berth led by the two All-Stars Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. The Bulls will definitely be able to score with the best of them.
The question surrounding this team is will they be able to get stops? Vucevic, LaVine, and DeRozan have all been criticized for their defensive liabilities over the years. It will be incumbent upon Bulls coach Billy Donovan to create a defensive scheme that minimizes the impact of their defensive inadequacies.
The Bulls will be counting on a major step forward from last year’s draft pick Patrick Williams. Because of the defensive liabilities of their top players, the Bulls will be reliant on their role players to step up and provide the defensive pop that they need. If Williams can continue to develop on the defensive end and become an elite defender, he could be the final piece the Bulls need to solve their playoff puzzle.
Key Matchup
Isaiah Stewart vs. Nikola Vucevic. While the NBA has switched to a perimeter-oriented league, the Bulls are going to need a big offensive contribution from Vucevic.
Stewart turned out to be a pretty good defender last year. With his experience in the league and a nice offseason, he potentially could be a top defender in the league. He will get a great opportunity to put the league on notice of his improved defensive abilities against one of the top-scoring centers in the league and Nikola Vucevic.
The Bulls run a lot of action through Vucevic since he is an adept scorer and passer out of the high and low post. If Stewart is able to show his chops and shutdown Vucevic, this will turn the Bulls into a perimeter-oriented jump-shooting team.
If this happens, the Pistons have a great chance to open the season with the win. If Vucevic is able to have his way against Stewart, the Bulls will most likely win and cover the spread.
Best Bet
This Pistons team is in the middle of a rebuild and while I commend general manager Troy Weaver for the way he is approaching this rebuild, they’re still not in a position to win against a talented roster such as the Chicago Bulls.
The Bulls will be eager to show off their newfound additions and should be able to outscore a scrappy Pistons team. Chicago will be able to get higher percentage shots more often and should have a nice margin for victory. Lay the points. Take the Bulls at one of BMR’ best sportsbooks.
NBA Pick: Chicago Bulls -4 (-108) at BookMaker (visit our BookMaker Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.