Bulls vs Wizards

This game probably shouldn't have been that close, the Wizards were without Bradley Beal and are kinda crappy overall. The Caruso-fied starting lineup actually ...

Caruso had a great impact (with the starters!) with a team-high +17 having just 4 shot attempts and 5 points but a huge 4 steals and 9 assists. Due to another awful game from Drummond, the Bulls actually went center-less for a stretch in the 4th and the larger Wizards bench (Taj Gibson hit a 3! It was looking like the Bulls would play somewhat better but still cough up the game, but nobody out-cough-ups the Wiz. Zach LaVine hit three triples in a row, Vuc another, and DeMar DeRozan then took over for the final few possessions. What kept Washington close beyond the Bulls also coughing the ball up was the fouling. This game probably shouldn’t have been that close, the Wizards were without Bradley Beal and are kinda crappy overall.

Here's everything you need to know before the Chicago Bulls take on the Washington Wizards in their 25th game of the 2022-23 regular season.

- Dec. Additionally, home-court advantage should play in Chicago’s favor tonight as the Wizards have posted a great record of 8-5 at home but have been absolutely awful with a 3-9 record on the road. Alex Caruso and Javonte Green have usurped Ayo Dosunmu and Patrick Williams in the starting lineup for now, but injuries may end up holding the pair back from seizing their big opportunity. Gambling odds and information courtesy of FanDuel. Their odds look pretty good, as they’re favored by Vegas to win big tonight while several key pieces of Washington’s roster remain sidelined due to injury. That journey starts here tonight, against the Washington Wizards.

The Washington Wizards will travel to take on the Chicago Bulls in a Wednesday night NBA matchup at the United Center in the Windy City.

Kristaps Porzingis is second on the team with 21.8 points and leads the team with 8.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. Chicago ranks third with an 82.5 free throw percentage, and Washington fouls 19.8 times per game. Vucevic needs to assert his presence in the paint for Chicago in this one. Zach LaVine, the high-flying combo guard, is second with 22.0 points, and 4.2 assists per game. The Bradley Beal and Rui Hamichura injuries will certainly take their toll on Washington. Ayo Dosunmu is the fourth and final Bull to average double-digit points, checking in at 10.4 points per game. Washington ranks 10th in the league with 44.7 rebounds per game, fourth in blocks at 6.3, and third in fewest turnovers at 13.3 per game. DeMar DeRozan has continued his dominance, leading the team with 25.5 points and 4.7 assists per game. Beal leads the team with 22.9 points and 5.4 assists per game. Shockingly, Chicago ranks 19th in the league with 42.9 rebounds per game. Chicago has lost four of their last five games, including their last three games, to fall to a 9-14 mark. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds

Our best bet and prediction for Wednesday's Bulls vs. Wizards game, with odds via Bet MGM.

Lonzo Ball (left knee) is out. We’ll give you the latest point spread, money line odds and over/under number, as well as the information you’ll need to make the smartest bet at BetMGM. Despite Zach LaVine’s season-high 41 points, the Bulls weren’t able to fight back into the game late in the fourth quarter.

The Bulls' "Big Three" of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević combined for 33 points in the fourth quarter of Wednesday's win over the Wizards.

In all: DeRozan (27 points), LaVine (25) and Vučević combined for 77 of the Bulls' 115 points on the game. With 15 points by DeRozan, 13 by LaVine and five by Vučević, they also combined for 33 of their 35 points in the fourth. The Bulls' coach also noted pregame that the team's plan is to return Green to the starting lineup when he's healthy in order to get an extended look at he and Caruso with the Bulls' "Big Three," and Ayo Dosunmu and Patrick Williams with the second unit. While the first three quarters of the game were largely sloppy on both sides, the fourth quarter was encouraging in that it represented an example of the Bulls out-executing an opponent down the stretch. While the Bulls, who entered play 28th in the NBA in 3-pointers made per game, typically lose the 3-point shooting battle by sizable margins, Wednesday was not one of those nights (the Wizards entered play 23rd in that category, after all). The Wizards drew back within 111-109 in the final seconds, but after a LaVine missed layup, Alex Caruso pulled down an offensive rebound and kicked to DeRozan for the free throws that, along with two later by LaVine, iced the game. The Bulls fell behind by as many as six early in the fourth quarter. After committing just three turnovers in the first quarter, the Bulls handed Washington nine in the second, allowing the Wizards 17 points off turnovers in the first half, overall. He changed the game by sparking a surge that thrust the Wizards ahead between the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth; from the 2:12 mark of the third until he checked out five minutes into the final frame, Gafford notched six points, three rebounds and two blocks. But the Bulls' turnover troubles were team-wide, and seemed to let the Wizards back in the game every time the hosts made a push. With Zach LaVine (six) and DeMar DeRozan (five) leading the way, they finished the game with 19. Better yet, the Bulls wasted no time playing to their preferred defensive identity, forcing five Washington turnovers in the frame and allowing 0-for-5 shooting from 3-point range.