If Zach LaVine can do what he did on Monday night, the Bulls are going to be hard to beat!
Game Info
New Orleans Pelicans (5-5) at Chicago Bulls (6-6) – 7:00 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Chicago, and 670 The Score (Radio)
Projected Starters
Chicago Bulls
1. Ayo Dosunmu
2. Zach LaVine
3. DeMar DeRozan
4. Patrick Williams
5. Nikola Vucevic
Injury Report: Lonzo Ball OUT (knee), Andre Drummond PROBABLE (shoulder), Coby White OUT (quad)
New Orleans Pelicans
1. CJ McCollum
2. Herb Jones
3. Brandon Ingram
4. Zion Williamson
5. Jonas Valaciunas
Injury Report: Larry Nance Jr. OUT (knee), Garrett Temple OUT (personal)
Odds
The Bulls walk into tonight as +1.5 underdogs against the Pelicans at PointsBet Illinois Sportsbook and as +2.0 underdogs at the FanDuel Illinois Sportsbook. Click on either link to sign up and pick the Bulls to cover (… or pick the opposite …)!
What to Watch For …
Zion Williamson is utterly terrifying. Back and healthy, the former No. 1-overall pick is averaging 23.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.2 steals on 53.9 percent shooting from the field. He may not be performing as efficiently as we’ve grown used to seeing him, but we’re also only 8 games into the year. He’s still a dominant force that can single-handedly give this Bulls’ defense a ton of trouble in the paint. If they aren’t ready to play physically, Williamson will be ready to take over.
While they have been able to weather the storm without Andre Drummond, there is no question that the Bulls’ bench will take a sigh of relief tonight if he returns to the floor. He provides the kind of rebounding prowess and fearless rim-protecting the Bulls will surely need against this Pelicans’ team. Honestly, his return perhaps could be the difference between a win and a loss depending on how this one shakes out.
If you thought the Bulls don’t take 3-pointers, then you should look at the Pelicans. Willie Green’s team has averaged the fewest attempts per game this season as they prioritize points in the paint. Fortunately for them, they have converted at the league’s 5th-best rate, but there is no reason the 3-point line should kill Chicago tonight.
A lot more in here …
NEWSLETTER
