Who’s Playing
Utah @ Chicago
Current Records: Utah 20-21; Chicago 18-21
What to Know
The Chicago Bulls need to shore up a defense that is allowing 115.41 points per matchup before their game Saturday. They are getting right back to it as they host the Utah Jazz at 8 p.m. ET Jan. 7 at United Center. The Bulls know how to get points on the board — the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past three matchups — so hopefully Utah likes a good challenge.
Chicago didn’t have too much trouble with the Philadelphia 76ers on the road on Friday as they won 126-112. Shooting guard Zach LaVine continued his habit of dropping crazy stat lines, shooting 11-for-13 from downtown and finishing with 41 points and six assists.
Meanwhile, while not quite a landslide, the contest between Utah and the Houston Rockets on Thursday was still a pretty decisive one as Utah wrapped it up with a 131-114 victory on the road. Small forward Lauri Markkanen went supernova for Utah as he shot 6-for-15 from beyond the arc and finished with 49 points and eight rebounds.
Barring any buzzer beaters, the Bulls are expected to win a tight contest. They might be worth taking a chance on against the spread as they are currently on a two-game streak of ATS wins.
Their wins bumped Chicago to 18-21 and the Jazz to 20-21. Given their high-scoring efforts against their previous opponents, it will be interesting to see how far up these teams can run up the score.
How To Watch
- When: Saturday at 8 p.m. ET
- Where: United Center — Chicago, Illinois
- TV: ATTSN Rocky Mountain
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Ticket Cost: $60.61
Odds
The Bulls are a slight 1.5-point favorite against the Jazz, 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 1-point favorite.
Over/Under: -110
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Series History
Utah have won eight out of their last 14 games against Chicago.
- Nov 28, 2022 – Chicago 114 vs. Utah 107
- Mar 16, 2022 – Utah 125 vs. Chicago 110
- Oct 30, 2021 – Chicago 107 vs. Utah 99
- Apr 02, 2021 – Utah 113 vs. Chicago 106
- Mar 22, 2021 – Utah 120 vs. Chicago 95
- Jan 02, 2020 – Utah 102 vs. Chicago 98
- Mar 23, 2019 – Utah 114 vs. Chicago 83
- Jan 12, 2019 – Utah 110 vs. Chicago 102
- Dec 13, 2017 – Chicago 103 vs. Utah 100
- Nov 22, 2017 – Utah 110 vs. Chicago 80
- Mar 18, 2017 – Chicago 95 vs. Utah 86
- Nov 17, 2016 – Chicago 85 vs. Utah 77
- Mar 19, 2016 – Chicago 92 vs. Utah 85
- Feb 01, 2016 – Utah 105 vs. Chicago 96
