Tonight, the undermanned Chicago Bulls kick off a rough run of eight games across just 13 days with a tilt against the Orlando Magic.
Despite long being expected to take off with a 50-win season and having added Desmond Bane to boost their offense, the Magic have looked surprisingly mortal this year. Orlando’s athletic defense once again leads the way, with its 114.0 defensive rating ranked ninth-best league-wide.
The club’s offense has been average, which in a way has to be seen as a success. Last year, Orlando’s 109.4 offensive rating ranked just 27th in the NBA. This year, the Magic rank 16th. Bane has been a helpful inclusion, but the team has once again been somewhat stymied by injuries — first to Paolo Banchero and now to Franz Wagner. Jalen Suggs has also been in and out of Orlando’s lineups.
The Bulls will be without Josh Giddey (left hamstring strain) for at least the next two weeks, plus Coby White (right calf tightness) and Zach Collins (right first toe sprain) for the next week.
Chicago looked great without its two top scorers and its best rim protector on Wednesday, but they were playing a New Orleans Pelicans team that currently boasts the second-worst record in the NBA, at 8-27.
Mandatory Credit: Russell Lansford – Imagn ImagesGame Info
The Chicago Bulls (16-17) host the Orlando Magic (19-15) – 7:00 p.m. CT on Chicago Sports Network (TV) and 670 The Score (Radio).
Chicago Bulls
Tre Jones Matas Buzelis Isaac Okoro Jalen Smith Nikola VucevicOrlando Magic
Jalen Suggs Desmond Bane Anthony Black Paolo Banchero Wendell Carter Jr.Game Lines
Orlando is a 5.5-point favorite against Chicago even in the United Center, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The game has a projected 232.5 combined score.
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No Coby, No Giddey, No Problem! Bulls Blitz Pelicans at Home, 134-118 — December 31, 2025What To Watch For
Coming into the game, the Bulls are actually riding the hot hand. Chicago has won seven of its last 10 games, while the Magic have gone a more middling 5-5. But two of the players largely responsible for Chicago’s recent success – Coby White and Josh Giddey – are absent now, as is a 6-foot-9 floor-spacing, rim-protecting frontcourt piece, Zach Collins. The Magic, sans the Wagner brothers and maybe the perennially hurt Jonathan Isaac, are largely healthy. Billy Donovan will need his full bag of tricks to mount a credible case against Orlando. The Bulls’ biggest asset is their pace. Chicago’s 17.8 fast break points per game are the fourth-most in the league, while the Bulls boast the NBA’s second-fastest pace. The club will need to make the slower Magic play at its speed. Tre Jones showed that he can more than handle the offensive load against a bad (but mostly available) Pelicans squad on Wednesday. He scored 20 points on a perfect 7-for-7 field goal shooting and a near-perfect 5-of-6 shooting from the charity stripe, while also dishing out 12 dimes against just one turnover. Now he’ll have to prove his mettle against a recent All-Defensive Second Teamer in Jalen Suggs. Jones could be the X-factor here as a scorer and passer. In the 12 games he’s started for Chicago this season, the 6-foot-1 vet has been averaging 13.8 points on 52.9 percent shooting (plus 38.9 shooting from distance, albeit on a scant 1.5 attempts a night), plus six assists. It should be noted that Jones was mostly in for Coby White during his first 11 starting nods, meaning he was a supplemental ball handler alongside a mid-breakout Josh Giddey. Right now, he’s the Bulls’ primary playmaker. Banchero has been somewhat inconsistent and passive of late as a scorer. The one-time All-Star forward has been averaging 17.8 points on a .473/.222/.680 slash line on 14.8 field goal attempts across his last five contests.Injury Report
Chicago Bulls
Josh Giddey OUT (left hamstring) Coby White OUT (right calf) Zach Collins OUT (right first toe) Lachlan Olbrich OUT (ankle) Trentyn Flowers OUT (knee) Emanuel Miller OUT (hamstring) Noa Essengue OUT (left shoulder)Orlando Magic
Franz Wagner OUT (left high ankle) Moritz Wagner OUT (left knee) Jonathan Isaac QUESTIONABLE (left knee) Vincent Carchietta-Imagn ImagesHence then, the article about pre gamin bulls vs magic 7 pm ct projected lineups how to watch more was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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