Chicago Bulls 2009-2010 Season Preview, Picks & Odds

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Chicago Bulls 2008-2009 NBA Record: 41-41, 2nd in Central Division

Chicago Bulls 2008-2009 ATS (Against The Spread): 42-39-1

Chicago Bulls Betting Trends & Betting Angles:

• 16-4 ATS past 20 April road games

• OVER is 1 3-3-1 past 17 Feb road games

• 8-2 ATS past 10 games at Detroit

• 11-3 SU past 14 games vs Pacers

• Played 6 straight OVERs at home to Bucks

• 14-2 SU past 16 at home to Bucks

• OVER is 7-3 past 10 at home to Cavaliers

Chicago Bulls 2009-2010 Preview & Prediction

Losing Gordon is a risky transaction, but the Bulls have a great chance to stay on the upswing simply because Rose is bound to get better in his second season.

Chicago Bulls Coach: Vinny Del Negro (2nd season)

Chicago Bulls Returning Players: Forwards Luol Deng, John Salmons, Tyrus Thomas; centers Aaron Gray, Jerome James, Brad Miller, Joakim Noah; guards Kirk Hinrich, Lindsey Hunter, Derrick Rose.

Chicago Bulls Key Additions: Forwards Taj Gibson (draft) and James Johnson (draft), guard Janero Pargo (free agent).

Chicago Bulls Key Subtractions: Guard Ben Gordon (signed with Pistons), forward Linton Johnson (signed with Magic), forward Tim Thomas (signed with Mavericks).

2009-2010 Chicago Bulls Point Guards:

Derrick Rose certainly gave Bulls fans the feeling that better days are ahead for the franchise. The landslide winner for Rookie of the Year was often spectacular during his first NBA season, bringing a combination of size, speed and athleticism rarely seen at the point guard spot.

He averaged 16.5 points and 6.3 assists, but Rose’s most impressive statistic might have been his .475 field-goal percentage. His outside shot was better than expected and he drove to the basket at will against teams without a shot-blocking threat.

Rose’s greatest weakness as a rookie was probably his defense, clearly not a focus growing up. He had a number of big fourth quarter performances, but never pulled off a classic game-winning shot. The late-game role will fall on his shoulders even more now that Ben Gordon is gone.

The Bulls brought back Jannero Pargo to be a backup point guard and extra 3-point shooter. A Chicago native, Pargo played for his hometown team from 2003-06.

Veteran Lindsey Hunter was brought in early last season to be a mentor for Rose. The Bulls liked the results and re-signed Hunter, 38, for another season.

2009-2010 Chicago Bulls Off Guards:

Without Ben Gordon, the Bulls will most likely start John Salmons at shooting guard and bring Kirk Hinrich off the bench.

The 6-6 Salmons is an extreme late bloomer. He didn’t average double-figure scoring until his sixth NBA season, then improved to l5.3 ppg last year.

After joining the Bulls in a trade from Sacramento on Feb. 15, Salmons became the starter at small forward when Luol Deng was sidelined with a stress fracture. During the month of March, Salmons was brilliant, averaging 21.3 points while shooting 50 percent from the field. He knocked down outside shots and blew past defenders with ease.

He wasn’t as good after being slowed by a groin strain, but did score 35 points in the Game 6 win over Boston. The question is, can he do it again?

Hinrich’s numbers have dropped for two straight years and last season he averaged a career low 9.9 points. But he also missed two months early in the season with a thumb injury, then played a supporting role off the bench.

At the same time, Hinrich picked up his defense, helped guide rookie Derrick Rose and looked like an experienced player who knows how to help his team win.

2009-2010 Chicago Bulls Small Forwards:

The Bulls faced a tough scenario in the summer of 2005, when both Luol Deng and Ben Gordon were restricted free agents. They didn’t want to risk losing both young players, so they gave Deng a six-year, $71-million contract.

As it turned out, Deng had a second straight disappointing, injury pronged season, while Gordon played well and left for Detroit as a free agent.

Now all the Bulls can do is hope Deng returns from a stress fracture in his right shin and finds his form from the 2006-07 season. The recovery seemed to be going well in the summer and Deng passed on playing for Great Britain in the European championships to concentrate on getting healthy.

First-round draft pick James Johnson from Wake Forest showed a wide variety of skills during the Las Vegas summer league and was particularly impressive handling the ball. He had some big games during his sophomore year in college, but was also very inconsistent.

2009-2010 Chicago Bulls Power Forwards:

Losing Ben Gordon opened some salary cap room for 2010 and it’s no secret the Bulls have an eye on acquiring Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer or another quality power forward.

Until that happens, the Bulls will continue to ride Tyrus Thomas’ development. Clearly, they were frustrated at times by Thomas’ decision-making and maturity. But, he’s also just 23 and still improving.

The Bulls are hoping their second first round draft pick, 6-9 Taj Gibson from USC, can help defensively.

2009-2010 Chicago Bulls Centers:

Joakim Noah certainly drew attention during the playoff series against Boston, particularly with his coast-to-coast steal, slam dunk and 3-point play that helped win Game 6 at the United Center.

Keep in mind, Noah was also abused at times by Celtics center Kendrick Perkins in that series. Noah has shown promise, but still needs to get stronger.

Brad Miller provided a steady presence after coming over from Sacramento on Feb. 15. He can be valuable setting high screens when his jumper is falling and adds veteran savvy to the front line.

The Bulls are also hoping to bring back Aaron Gray for a third season. He was the team’s best big man early last year.

Chicago Bulls 2009-2010 Season Predictions

We predict that the Chicago Bulls will finish 2nd in the NBA Central Division .

Chicago Bulls Betting

Chicago Bulls NBA Championship Odds: +2500

Chicago Bulls Eastern Conference Odds: +4000

Chicago Bulls 2008-2009 Betting Stats

Chicago Bulls Straight Up: 41-41

Chicago Bulls ATS: 42-39-1

Chicago Bulls Home ATS: 22-19

Chicago Bulls Away ATS: 20-20-1

Chicago Bulls Record As Favorite: 24-12

Chicago Bulls Record As Dog: 17-29

Chicago Bulls Over/Under: 44-37-1

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