The Houston Rockets will travel to Chicago to face the Bulls on Wednesday, January 10, 2024. The reintegration of Zach LaVine into the Bulls rotation has given them a significant boost on offense, as he brings reliable playmaking with him. Thus, Houston’s impressive and constantly improving defense will be tested by LaVine’s All-Star level skill set. They are improving on both sides of the floor, and their young talent is developing well under the experienced leadership of Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet.
Preview
The Rockets have many players on their injury list. Dillon Brooks, Tary Eason and Victor Oladipo are out with injuries. Both Brooks and Eason will be significant losses to the overall rotation of the team and will certainly be missed on the defensive end. Meanwhile, the Bulls are also dealing with some injury problems, as Lonzo Ball and Torrey Craig are listed out. Patrick Williams, Zach LaVine and Alex Caruso are likely to play and will be part of the rotation. Caruso has emerged as one of the Bulls’ most important players and could be a real difference-maker against the Rockets.
Starting lineups of both teams
The Rockets starting lineup is likely to include Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Jae’Sean Tate and Alperen Sengun. VanVleet and Jalen Green have given the Rockets some good offensive edge in the frontcourt, while Sengun continues to develop into an All-Star level talent with brilliant upside on the defense. Meanwhile, the Bulls’ starting lineup is likely to include Coby White, Alex Caruso, Patrick Williams, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic. Zach LaVine has been back from the injury but is still on the bench as he is working his way back to fitness. It will be interesting to see if he makes it into the starting lineup in the next game or continues to come off the bench as the sixth man.
Prediction
The Bulls are slight favorites for the game against the Rockets. They are -4 on the spread and -174 on the moneyline. Having Zach LaVine back in the rotation will likely give the Bulls a boost. In addition, the emergence of Coby White has given the Bulls an added punch on offense, which could make a big difference. Still, the Rockets have been impressive under Ime Udoka. Their defense is strong and their attack is well structured. However, the Bulls can have the home advantage and with their star player back, the team is most likely to win.
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