Group Admins
It’s been over a month since the Phoenix Suns last won three straight games. This Thursday, they’re poised to repeat that feat and potentially move further in their race for an automatic playoff berth in the Western Conference.
The Suns (35-26) will host the Chicago Bulls (25-37) at the Mortgage Center at 9 p.m. ET, miami heat jerseys aiming for their first three-game winning streak since late January. The Suns defeated the Sacramento Kings 114-103 on Tuesday, with Devin Booker returning after missing four games due to a hip injury. The Suns are currently two games behind the sixth-placed Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference, who will travel to Denver to face the Nuggets on Thursday.
The Chicago Bulls have been in freefall since their four-game winning streak from January 18th to 24th, losing 15 of their last 17 games. The Bulls have also suffered a series of defeats against the Suns recently—an 11-game losing streak against them since their 116-10 victory in Phoenix on March 18, 2019.
There are eight other NBA games scheduled for Thursday, including the Brooklyn Nets (15-46) vs. the Miami Heat (33-29) at the Keithia Center at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Heat have won five of their last seven games, while the Nets are mired in a season-long nine-game losing streak, having fallen 0-2 against the Heat this season after a 98-124 road loss on Tuesday.
The NHL has eight games scheduled for today, including the Buffalo Sabres (36-19-6) visiting the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paint Center.
Thursday’s NBA schedule includes eight more games, including a matchup between the Brooklyn Nets (15-46) and the Miami Heat (33-29) at the Keithia Center at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Heat are five of their last seven games, while the Nets are mired in a season-long nine-game losing streak, having fallen 0-2 against the Heat this season after a 98-124 road loss on Tuesday.
The NHL also features eight games today, including the Buffalo Sabres (36-19-6) visiting PPG Paint Arena at 7:00 p.m. ET against the Pittsburgh Penguins (31-16-13). The Sabres are currently two points behind Atlantic Division leaders Tampa Bay Lightning and are looking to end a 14-season playoff drought. Since December 9th, they have achieved a record of 25 wins, 5 losses, and 2 ties, and won four straight games after the NHL Olympic offseason, but they have lost their previous two games against the Penguins this season.
The college basketball schedule is packed, with a key Big Ten game scheduled for 8 p.m. ET at Carver Hawk-Eye Arena in Iowa City: the third-ranked University of Michigan (27 wins, 2 losses) vs. the University of Iowa (20 wins, 9 losses). The Wolverines have won 13 straight games in the league, but have lost three of their last five meetings with the Hawk-Eye.
Latest NBA odds show the Suns favoring the Bulls by 10.5 points, the New York Rangers Jerseys and the Heat favoring the Nets by 13.5 points. The Sabres are favored by -115 points against the Penguins, and the University of Michigan is favored by 8.5 points against the University of Iowa.
The Nets have been in a slump recently, losing six of their nine games by double digits, including five blowouts of at least 16 points. On Tuesday, the Heat dominated Brooklyn at home with a 26-point margin, led by Adebayo and six other players scoring in double figures, three of whom broke the 20-point mark. Adebayo himself led all scorers with 23 points. SportsLine’s prediction model expects another easy win for the Heat on Thursday, with simulations showing a 67% probability of covering the point spread. Brooklyn’s Nolan Traore scored 14 points against Miami two nights ago, and SportsLine player data expert PropBetGuy (120-86 record in NBA player data predictions over the last 206 games, with a profit of +1941) predicts the rookie guard will continue his efficient performance—he has scored at least 11 points in nine of his last 12 games.
Yes, the Bulls’ record over the past six weeks has been abysmal, but five of their last eight losses were by less than 10 points. During their 11-game losing streak against the Suns in their head-to-head matchups, the Bulls have consistently put up a strong fight, with only three losses exceeding 9 points. In their first two meetings this season, the Bulls narrowly lost to the Suns by a combined 10 points. SportsLine’s prediction model suggests another close game, with the model predicting a 67% probability of the Bulls covering the spread. Suns guard Colin Gilespie has only achieved 25+ points, assists, and rebounds in four of his last 18 games. SportsLine player data expert Alex Selesnick (4-2 in his last six NBA player data predictions, netting $189) believes he won’t be able to achieve that against the Bulls.
The Penguins had a 9-12 record before their 1-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday. During captain Crosby’s absence due to a lower limb injury sustained during the Olympics, the team’s record was 2 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw. The Buffalo Sabres have only lost 3 of their last 13 games (10 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw), one of which was a 2-5 home defeat to Pittsburgh before the Olympic break. The Sabres have remained undefeated since then, but SportsLine’s prediction model shows the Penguins will win again—they have won in 55% of their simulations.
The Wolverines are undefeated in true road games this season, going 10-0. However, their performance in Iowa City has been lackluster, with a record of 38 wins and 42 losses. SportsLine’s prediction model favors Michigan to win Thursday’s matchup, but simulation data shows the Hawk-Eye team will mount a strong comeback, covering the spread with a 71% win rate. The Wolverines rank fifth in defensive efficiency among the Big Ten (allowing 68.7 points per game), and SportsLine expert Chip Patterson believes they can limit Iowa to close to their average of 75.7 points per game.