The Chicago Bulls and second-year head coach Billy Donovan are once again starting to look like a formidable team in the Eastern Conference as the calendar turns to February. And against the Orlando Magic on Feb. 1, Donovan and the Bulls will be looking to push their winning streak to two games.
Heading into this meeting with the Magic at home on Feb. 1, the Bulls are sporting a record of 31-18. The Bulls won three of their last four games, including a triumph in their last outing over the Portland Trail Blazers at home on Jan. 30.
Meanwhile, the Magic come into this game with a record of 11-40 after their close 110-108 win at home over the Dallas Mavericks. The Magic are playing good basketball of late, despite what their overall record might say about them so far this season.
Orlando is also looking to push their winning streak to two games. And they also won three of their last four dating back to their Jan. 23 convincing win over the Bulls by the final score of 114-95.
Here’s a look into the betting odds and game prediction as the Bulls get set to take on the Magic at home at the United Center in Chicago, with tip-off time set for 7 p.m. CT on Feb. 1.
Chicago Bulls vs. Orlando Magic betting odds
According to WynnBet, the Bulls are an eight-point favorite over the Magic in this game. And the over/under is set at 223 points.
The ESPN matchup predictor gives the Bulls a 61.5 percent chance to beat the Magic.
Chicago Bulls vs. Orlando Magic prediction
Knowing the way that the Magic handily defeated a very short-handed Bulls team last week, Donovan’s squad should be ready for a true battle on the night of Feb. 1. The good news for the Bulls, though, is the fact that they’re healthier than they were in the Jan. 23 loss to the Magic.
Star forward DeMar DeRozan, center Nikola Vucevic, and shooting guard Zach LaVine are healthy and playing well together in the last few games. The Bulls are still missing the likes of point guard Alex Caruso, point guard Lonzo Ball, forward Derrick Jones Jr., etc. But this team is still about as healthy as they will get at least for the next few weeks.
The last time these two teams met, a 41-point outing from DeRozan wasn’t enough to top a solid effort from the Magic’s frontcourt duo of center Wendell Carter Jr. and big man Mo Wagner. Carter had a solid outing with 19 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks. He’s continued to play well against his former team when given the chance with the Magic so far this season.
This is a pretty solid season as a whole for Carter too. He will definitely be a player the Bulls need to be cognizant of in this game.
If Vucevic, DeRozan, and the Bulls get a thoroughly solid outing from eight or 10 players in the rotation against the Magic, this should be a very winnable game. But we saw before what Carter and the Magic can do to the Bulls if the supporting cast around DeRozan comes out flat, especially with how poor Vucevic played in the Jan. 23 loss.