NBA Betting Preview: Chicago Bulls vs. Houston Rockets Odds, Analysis

The Chicago Bulls visit the Houston Rockets on Thursday hoping to avoid falling below the .500 mark for just the second time in two years.

The Bulls earned a much-needed victory Tuesday, upsetting the Indiana Pacers 98-96 as six-point road underdogs to end a four-game losing streak. Chicago still sits two games behind Indiana for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and enters this matchup at Houston as expected road betting underdogs at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark.

The Rockets are in slightly better shape, holding the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, although they are in a three-way tie with the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks. Houston does have the benefit of playing five of its last seven games at home and also has a key road matchup with Dallas on April 6.

After winning the Southwest Division last year and advancing to the Western Conference Finals, the team would likely face the Golden State Warriors or San Antonio Spurs in the first round.

Regardless, getting to the postseason is a goal for both teams. The Bulls have made the playoffs each of the last seven years, while the Rockets have qualified the past three.

Chicago has won three of the previous four meetings with Houston both straight up and against the spread after suffering through a four-game series losing streak. However, the Rockets have won and covered the last three games between the teams at home, with the past two decided by double digits.

The Bulls had struggled on the road before beating the Pacers, dropping their previous three along with 11 of 12 while covering the spread only three times during that stretch, according to the Odds Shark NBA Database. They are 13-23 SU away from home overall with a 14-22 mark ATS and have seen the under cash in their last four road games and their last four overall.

Houston has an identical spread record at home despite going 20-16 SU at the Toyota Center. The Rockets have seen their past two games go under the total as well along with five of six.