Now that Christmas has come and gone and the Chicago Bulls have had a little time to reflect on their winning ways, they’ll be put to the test in a four-game homestand to close out the month. Starting tonight against the Houston Rockets, this will be the Bulls’ first opportunity to add to the three-game win streak and to inspire faith among the fanbase that their resurgence is real.
The Rockets on the other hand, currently possess the NBA’s third-worst record and will be far less eager to claw out a win tonight. With meetings against the Bucks and Cavaliers looming in the near future, it’s hard to ask for a more ideal matchup than this.
As we’ve seen all too often this year, this Bulls team is prone to getting ahead of itself and overlooking their competition. That’s why all I asked for Christmas is a Bulls W, even if it comes a day late. Here’s everything you need to know to watch tonight’s action.
How to watch Chicago Bulls vs Houston Rockets
- Date: December 26, 2022
- Time: 8:00 p.m. ET, 7:00 p.m CT
- Where: United Center, Chicago, IL
- Watch: NBC Sports Chicago, NBA TV
- Stream: FuboTV
Chicago Bulls vs Houston Rockets, Spread, Over/Under
- Favorite: Bulls (-8)
- Over/under: 226 points
- Moneyline: -335 Chicago/+245 Houston
Gambling odds and information courtesy of FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. Displayed odds current as of Monday at 7:00 a.m. CT.
Projected Chicago Bulls Starting Lineup and Injury Report
- PG: Ayo Dosunmu
- SG: Zach LaVine
- SF: DeMar DeRozan
- PF: Patrick Williams
- C: Nikola Vucevic
- IR: Out – Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso; Doubtful – Javonte Green, Derrick Jones Jr.
Chicago will be missing a significant amount of depth in tonight’s game, with Alex Caruso in concussion protocols while Javonte Green and Derrick Jones Jr. are doubtful to play due to knee and ankle injuries, respectively. Expect Ayo Dosunmu to remain in the starting lineup until Caruso is available to return, with Goran Dragic seeing a significant uptick in minutes as well. These injuries will likely have the Bulls running an 8-man rotation again tonight, with Coby White and Andre Drummond rounding out the lineup.
Bulls list Alex Caruso out and Javonte Green and Derrick Jones Jr. doubtful vs. Rockets.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) December 25, 2022
Game Predictions
Despite their multitude of injuries, this is exactly the type of game the Bulls must win if they want to climb back to .500 and ultimately get their name back into the playoff discussion. Already on a three-game win streak, the momentum is on their side up against a Rockets squad that has dropped their last five games. That being said, Houston was within 6 points in three of those five games and didn’t lose a single one by a margin of 20 or more points, so don’t expect them to cough up an easy victory in their pursuit of the No. 1 overall draft pick this summer.
My Predictions: (14-18)
Bulls Upcoming Games
- Dec. 28 vs Milwaukee Bucks (22-11)
- Dec. 30 vs Detroit Pistons (8-27)
- Dec. 31 vs Cleveland Cavaliers (22-12)