Halftime Report
Only two more quarters stand between the Bulls and the victory they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead the Wizards 67-45.
If the Bulls keep playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 33-35 in no time. On the other hand, the Wizards will have to make due with an 11-56 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
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
- Where: United Center — Chicago, Illinois
- TV: Monumental Sports Network
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $48.00
What to Know
The Bulls will be playing the full four quarters on Saturday, but they’re expected to have things wrapped up well before that. They will be playing at home against the Washington Wizards at 8:00 p.m. ET at United Center. Given that the pair suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
Last Thursday, Chicago ended up a good deal behind the Clippers and lost 126-111. The Bulls have not had much luck with the Clippers recently, as the team’s come up short the last three times they’ve met.
Meanwhile, things could have been worse for Washington, but they could have been a whole lot better as they took a 135-119 loss to the Rockets on Thursday. The Wizards have now taken an ‘L’ in back-to-back games.
The losing side was boosted by Deni Avdija, who almost dropped a double-double on 24 points and nine rebounds.
Chicago dropped their record down to 32-35 with that defeat, which was their third straight at home. That rough patch could be blamed on the team’s lackluster offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 100.0 points per game. As for Washington, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost 18 of their last 20 matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 11-55 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: The Bulls haven’t given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 11.7 turnovers per game (they’re ranked fourth in turnovers per game overall). However, it’s not like the Wizards struggle in that department as they’ve been averaging only 13.4 turnovers per game. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
The Bulls took their win against the Wizards when the teams last played back in February of 2023 by a conclusive 102-82. Will the Bulls repeat their success, or do the Wizards have a better game plan this time around? We’ll find out soon enough.
Odds
Chicago is a big 10-point favorite against Washington, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Bulls as a 10.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 226 points.
See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Chicago has won 7 out of their last 10 games against Washington.
- Feb 26, 2023 – Chicago 102 vs. Washington 82
- Jan 11, 2023 – Washington 100 vs. Chicago 97
- Dec 07, 2022 – Chicago 115 vs. Washington 111
- Oct 21, 2022 – Washington 102 vs. Chicago 100
- Mar 29, 2022 – Chicago 107 vs. Washington 94
- Jan 07, 2022 – Chicago 130 vs. Washington 122
- Jan 01, 2022 – Chicago 120 vs. Washington 119
- Feb 08, 2021 – Washington 105 vs. Chicago 101
- Dec 31, 2020 – Chicago 133 vs. Washington 130
- Dec 29, 2020 – Chicago 115 vs. Washington 107
