Half-time report
Only two more quarters separate the Bulls from the victory they were favored to achieve tonight. They have a bit of a lead as they currently lead the Wizards 67-45.
If the Bulls continue to play like this, they will increase their record to 33-35 in no time. On the other hand, the Wizards will have to settle for an 11-56 record unless they turn things around (and quickly).
Who’s playing
Washington Wizards @ Chicago Bulls
Current records: Washington 11-55, Chicago 32-35
How to watch
- When: Saturday March 16, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET
- Or: United Center – Chicago, IL
- TV: Monumental Sports Network
- Follow: CBS Sports app
- Online broadcast: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket cost: $48.00
What there is to know
The Bulls will play the full four quarters on Saturday, but they should have things wrapped up well before then. They will play at home against the Washington Wizards at 8 p.m. ET at the United Center. Given that both men suffered a loss in their last match, they both have a little more motivation heading into this match.
Last Thursday, Chicago found itself well behind the Clippers and lost 126-111. The Bulls haven’t had much luck with the Clippers recently, as the team has come up short in the last three meetings.
Meanwhile, things could have been worse for Washington, but they could have been much better as they suffered a 135-119 loss to the Rockets on Thursday. The Wizards have now received an “L” in consecutive games.
The losing team was strengthened by Deni Avdija, who almost had a double-double with 24 points and nine rebounds.
Chicago dropped its record to 32-35 with the loss, which was its third straight at home. This difficult period could be blamed on the team’s poor offensive performance during this period, as they averaged only 100.0 points per game. As for Washington, they’ve been on a rocky road recently after losing 18 of their last 20 games, which took a major dent in their 11-55 record this season.
In this competition, the number of possessions is likely to be an important factor: the Bulls have not given up the ball easily this season, having averaged just 11.7 turnovers per game (they are ranked fourth in terms of turnovers per game in total). However, it’s not like the Wizards struggled in that department as they averaged just 13.4 turnovers per game. Given these competing forces, it will be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
The Bulls won against the Wizards in the teams’ last matchup in February 2023 by a conclusive 102-82. Will the Bulls repeat their success, or will the Wizards have a better game plan this time around? We’ll know soon enough.
Odds
Chicago is big favorite with 10 points against Washington, according to the latest NBA Odds.
Oddsmakers had a good idea of the line for this one, as the game opened with the Bulls as 10.5-point favorites.
The over/under is 226 points.
See NBA Pick for every game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get Picks Now.
History of the series
Chicago has won 7 of its last 10 games against Washington.
- February 26, 2023 – Chicago 102 vs. Washington 82
- January 11, 2023 – Washington 100 vs. Chicago 97
- December 7, 2022 – Chicago 115 vs. Washington 111
- October 21, 2022 – Washington 102 vs. Chicago 100
- March 29, 2022 – Chicago 107 vs. Washington 94
- January 7, 2022 – Chicago 130 vs. Washington 122
- January 1, 2022 – Chicago 120 vs. Washington 119
- February 8, 2021 – Washington 105 vs. Chicago 101
- December 31, 2020 – Chicago 133 vs. Washington 130
- December 29, 2020 – Chicago 115 vs. Washington 107
