The Chicago Bulls will face the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. The Bulls won their Sunday matchup game 105-92 and lead the season series 2-0. They will hope to remain undefeated against the 76ers. Joel Embiid is expected to return on Tuesday after missing the last four games of Philadelphia with an ankle sprain. His return would be bad news for the Bulls, who will be without Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and Torrey Craig. The Bulls will rely on DeMar DeRozan, Coby White and Andre Drummond.
The 76ers have struggled with Drummond in Embiid’s absence. Chicago’s Andre Drummond scored 15 points and grabbed 23 rebounds in Saturday’s win over the Bulls. Embiid is available now and should be ready to give a tough challenge to the Bulls.
Preview
The Bulls are lacking players right now. They defeated the 76ers without Embiid, but it will be a different story on Tuesday. DeMar DeRozan, Andre Drummond and Coby White will need to step up for the Bulls to have a chance to defeat the 76ers. The Sixers will be without D’Anthony Melton, who is suffering from lumbar spine soreness. Apart from him, all 76ers players are healthy and will look to get the win against the Bulls.
Starting lineups of both teams
The Chicago Bulls’ likely starting lineup for Tuesday’s game is: Patrick Williams, DeMar DeRozan, Andre Drummond, Coby White and Alex Caruso. While the Philadelphia 76ers’ starting lineup is likely to be: Nick Nurse,Tobias Harris, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Patrick Beverley.
Betting tips/Prediction
Joel Embiid leads the NBA with 35.0 points per game. The over/under point prop for him is 34.5, which means the bookies get -118 for over and -108 for under. Embiid averaged 40.2 points in December. On the other hand, Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan is averaging 22.4 points per game. The over/under point prop for that is 23.5. Bookies will get -104 for over and -122 for under. He has scored more than 23 points in four of his last 10 games. DeRozan scored 24 points in the Bulls’ win over the 76ers on Saturday.
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The Philadelphia 76ers are favorites to win Tuesday’s game. The money line for the 76ers is 550, while for the Bulls it is +400. Chicago is an underdog and currently they are undermanned. Because Embiid is back, Philadelphia has a great chance to win on Tuesday.