The Bulls are in stop-the-pain mode going 2-4 heading into this their final matchup of a seven-game road trip. Chicago has tumbled all the way to being the sixth-seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Bulls are better than that. Yes, Jimmy Butler and Joakim Noah are out. But Pau Gasol and Derrick Rose are healthy and the Bulls have a talented reserve roster, which is made stronger with the return of Mike Dunleavy, who played his first game of the season this past Saturday.

The Bulls are in desperation mode after blowing a lead to the Timberwolves in their last game, an embarrassing loss. There is no knock to the Hornets in this handicap. Charlotte finally is healthy except for Al Jefferson and has a strong home-court. The Hornets are 7-4 in their last 11 games. They are a decent team - but not strong enough to get away with laying this many points against this caliber of opponent, wounded or not.

I much prefer the Hornets when they are in an underdog role - not laying points. They are 3-10 ATS the past 13 times as chalk.