The Chicago Bulls travel to face the Denver Nuggets Monday night at Ball Arena, with tipoff set for 9:10 p.m. ET. Weโre 14-point underdogs on the road against a Nuggets team riding a 7-game winning streak. Meanwhile, weโve lost 5 straight. This might be the lowest point of our season.
Game Information
Date: Monday, November 17, 2025
Tipoff: 9:10 p.m. ET / 8:10 p.m. MT
Location: Ball Arena, Denver
League: NBA
Betting Lines and Odds
Moneyline:
Bulls: +614 (massive underdogs)
Nuggets: -885 (overwhelming favorites)
Spread:
Bulls: +14 (-107)
Nuggets: -14 (-107)
Total: 240 points (Over -111 / Under -105)
Bulls in Complete Disaster Mode
Chicago sits at 4-6 in the last 10 games, riding a soul-crushing 5-game losing streak. Weโre 5-4-1 against the spread with a 2-game ATS losing streak, meaning weโre not even covering the generous spreads weโve been getting.
Bulls games have been high-scoring nightmares, going over 8 times and under just twice in the last 10, with 4 straight overs. Weโre giving up points in bunches while struggling to keep pace offensively.
Nuggets Absolutely Dominant
Denver enters with a 9-1 record in their last 10 games, riding a blistering 7-game winning streak. Even more impressively, theyโre 8-2 ATS with a 6-game ATS winning streak โ theyโre not just winning, theyโre destroying spreads.
Nuggets games have leaned toward unders (4 overs, 6 unders) with their most recent game going under, suggesting elite defense and controlled pace.
Why 14 Points Feels About Right (Unfortunately)
The 14-point spread is brutal but honest. Denver is rolling with the reigning MVP in Nikola Jokic, theyโre at home at altitude, and weโre on a 5-game losing streak looking completely lost.
Bullsโ Nightmare Stretch
Five straight losses. Weโve gone from playoff hopefuls to a team that canโt buy a win. The confidence is shot, the execution is terrible, and we look like a team thatโs given up.
Nuggetsโ Championship Form
Denver is playing like the elite championship contender they are. Jokic is orchestrating everything, Jamal Murray is healthy and scoring, and their role players are executing perfectly.
Altitude and Mile High Advantage
Playing in Denverโs thin air affects visiting teams significantly. Legs get heavy in the fourth quarter, shots fall short, and the Nuggets exploit tired opponents. Weโre already struggling โ add altitude and this could get ugly.
Nikola Jokic Will Dominate
Letโs not sugarcoat this โ Jokic is going to put up whatever stats he wants. Triple-double? Probably. 30+ points? Likely. Making our defense look silly? Guaranteed.
The reigning MVP is playing at an all-world level, and we have no one who can remotely slow him down. Heโll score inside, facilitate from the perimeter, and control every aspect of the game.
Betting Analysis
The Spread
Bulls +14 is the only bet worth considering. Yes, weโre terrible right now. Yes, Denver is elite. But 14 points is a lot of cushion. We should keep this within double digits even in a blowout loss.
The Moneyline
Bulls +614 means betting $100 to win $614. That sounds amazing until you realize weโd need a miracle to win this game. The odds accurately reflect our minuscule chance.
The Total
Over 240 aligns with our recent trend (4 straight overs) but contradicts Denverโs tendency toward unders. This creates uncertainty, though our porous defense suggests points will be scored.
Bullsโ Path to Not Getting Embarrassed
For us to cover the 14-point spread and maintain some dignity, we need:
Survive the first quarter โ Canโt spot them a 20-point lead early
Limit Jokic somewhat โ Heโll get his stats, but maybe keep it to 25 instead of 40
Hit our threes โ Need to stay competitive from deep
Donโt quit โ Show some pride even when down big
Bulls Fan Perspective
This is rock bottom. Five straight losses, traveling to Denver to face the best team in the West while theyโre on a 7-game heater, getting 14 points on the road, and having our moneyline at +614.
Iโm not even mad anymore โ Iโm just numb. We went from 6-3 and feeling like legitimate playoff contenders to 4-6 and looking like a lottery team. The collapse has been stunning in its speed and completeness.
Fourteen points feels about right, maybe even generous. Denver is that much better than us right now. Jokic will torture us for 40 minutes, their crowd will be rocking, and the altitude will make our legs feel like concrete by the third quarter.
The only question is whether we get blown out by 20+ or somehow keep it respectable and cover the spread. Iโm not confident we can even do that.
This season has gone from promising to devastating in just two weeks. We need something โ anything โ to stop this freefall before it completely derails our year.
Game Prediction
Projected Score: Nuggets 128, Bulls 118
Denver wins comfortably, extending their winning streak to 8 games and our losing streak to 6. Jokic posts another triple-double, Murray scores 25+, and we battle but never threaten to win.
We cover the 14-point spread by keeping it to a 10-point loss, showing some fight despite the difficult matchup. The game goes over 240 points as our defense continues struggling.
Best Bets:
Bulls +14 (only play worth making) โ Should lose by less than 14
Over 240 (risky lean) โ Our defense canโt stop anyone
Avoid Bulls ML โ Weโre not winning this game
For Bulls fans, this represents survival mode. Donโt get embarrassed on national television, cover the spread, and try to find something โ anything โ positive to build on.
Monday night in Denver โ letโs just try to keep it respectable.
See Red (through tears)โฆ But letยดs go Bulls!!!
The post Bulls vs Nuggets Preview & Prediction Game Today November 17: 14-Point Underdogs in Denver During 5-Game Skid appeared first on UrbanMatter.
