Let’s play two! Well, not both tonight, but you get it. Orlando visits the United Center for two straight games starting tonight.
Game Info
Orlando Magic (5-5) at Chicago Bulls (4-7) – 7:00 p.m. CT on NBC Sports Chicago (TV) and 670 The Score (Radio)
Projected Starters
Chicago Bulls
- Coby White
- Zach LaVine
- Patrick Williams
- Torrey Craig
- Nikola Vucevic
Injury Report: Patrick Williams PROBABLE (finger), Alex Caruso QUESTIONABLE (toe), DeMar DeRozan OUT (family matter), Dalen Terry OUT (knee)
Orlando Magic
- Anthony Black
- Jalen Suggs
- Franz Wagner
- Paolo Banchero
- Goga Bitadze
Injury Report: Markelle Fultz OUT (knee), Kevon Harris OUT (coach’s decision), Wendell Carter Jr OUT (hand)
Odds
Chicago comes into tonight’s game as 1.5-point favorites against the Magic at FanDuel Illinois Sportsbook and 2-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook. Click on either link to sign up and pick the Bulls to cover (… or pick the opposite …)!
What to Watch For
- I think you could copy and paste what I said from Monday’s pre-game about needing a fast start, but that’s the biggest key to tonight’s game yet again. The Bucks won the first quarter 35-18. The Bulls fought back throughout the game, but again if you get a better start you might be able to pull out a win. They always seem to be able to fight back into games after the bad starts, but that’s not a sustainable model.
- Speaking of better starts, Chicago will have to accomplish that without DeMar DeRozan. He won’t be playing in tonight’s game due to tending to a family matter. Hopefully, all is well with DeMar on the home front. From an on-court standpoint, I’m intrigued to see how the starters operate without one of the “Big 3” in the lineup.
- While were on the topic of the “Big 3” we saw Zach LaVine trade rumors resurface this week, but this time Zach didn’t really shoot them down. It feels like we might be nearing the end of the LaVine era in Chicago if things continue to go south. I’m intrigued to see how Zach reacts to the off-court noise tonight. Does he go off? Will he be distracted? Is he just not affected? He’ll be the player to watch tonight.
- Orlando is a young, fun, up-and-coming team. They’ve had some ups and downs this season thus far, but they have some really talented young players. With another slow start for the home team, the Magic could easily be up double digits in the blink of an eye. Orlando did play last night in Brooklyn, so there could be some tired legs. Let’s get a fast start, and when things get turned to the second unit (that hopefully includes Alex Caruso) they can not have to make a big comeback.