The Chicago Bulls are on the road, heading to Boston, Massachusetts, for a Monday matchup with the Celtics. The Bulls are severely depleted, having picked up four key injuries in the last week, which has forced head coach Billy Donovan to roll out some unfamiliar, but hopefully effective, rotations.
The Celtics remain one of the strongest teams in the East and have done more than simply stay afloat without Jayson Tatum. 2023–24 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown is having his best season yet, even while playing alongside a completely reshaped roster compared to the last time we saw them.
This will be the first matchup between these two conference rivals this season, which means there’s no prior head-to-head experience to lean on, just a whole lot of film study and the hope that the offense shows up when it matters.
This game has the potential to be either a tightly contested battle or an outright blowout, and we probably won’t have to wait long to find out which one it will be.
Starting the week on the East Coast.⏰ 6:30 pm CT? @CHSN__ ? @670TheScore pic.twitter.com/57jLgXVOiw
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) January 5, 2026Game Info
The Boston Celtics (22-12) host the Chicago Bulls (17-18) – 6:30 p.m. CT on Chicago Sports Network (TV) and 670 The Score (Radio).
Chicago Bulls
Tre Jones Coby White Isaac Okoro Matas Buzelis Nikola VucevicBoston Celtics
Payton Pritchard Derrick White Jaylen Brown Sam Hauser Neemias QuetaGame Lines
The Celtics are 10.5-point favorites over the Bulls, with the total set at 235.5, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Jalen Smith Hurt, Bulls’ Luck Runs Out in 112-99 Home Loss to Hornets – January 3, 2026What to Watch For
The Chicago Bulls, as previously mentioned, will be without their star Josh Giddey, along with their bench bigs, Zach Collins and Jalen Smith. The three of them log heavy minutes and carry important roles within the Bulls’ offense. Giddey can score in bunches while setting the table for others, whereas Collins and Smith anchor things defensively and create extra possessions with offensive rebounds. Without them, Chicago’s once-reliable depth pretty much disappears.Jalen Smith caps a quick 10-0 run by the Bulls in just 1 minute and 15 seconds ??Watch Bulls vs. Magic: t.co/bTIoGTJ3Bp pic.twitter.com/Mohj6cEKgA
— Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) January 3, 2026 Replacing them should be Tre Jones in the starting lineup and Ayo Dosunmu off the bench, with Matas Buzelis sliding back to the power forward spot. Off the bench, the Bulls have virtually no size, so expect a heavy dose of small-ball, including 6’6″ Patrick Williams playing the five whenever Vucevic sits. God, that frontcourt depth is embarrassing. This season, the Bulls are 11–14 without Collins, 0–5 without Smith, and 0–3 when both are out. A win tonight would be nothing short of a miracle.Jalen Smith (concussion) listed out for Monday.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) January 4, 2026 A promising sign for tonight is that Coby White will be returning. He was the first of the starting backcourt to leave the Timberwolves game with calf tightness, the same issue that kept him sidelined for most of the season. He wasn’t expected back this soon, as Bulls PR initially projected at least a few more days before his next evaluation. I’m honestly hoping that calf has magically healed, because if it hasn’t, risking one of the Bulls’ biggest trade assets doesn’t sound like a great idea. That said, his 19–20 points per game instantly changes the dynamic. He’ll draw Boston’s best defender and help open up the offense just a little bit more.Coby White (injury management) available to play Monday.He'll be limited to 24 minutes, per coach Donovan.
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) January 5, 2026 Scoring is really the only weapon the Bulls have right now. Defensively, they still leave a lot to be desired. And the Celtics, meanwhile, are an offensive juggernaut. Over their last 15 games, Boston owns the league’s best Offensive Rating at 126.5. That means Chicago is going to be the team forced to keep pace, simply hoping their offense can hang long enough to make it interesting.Teams With The Best Offensive Rating In The Last 15 Games For The 2025-26 NBA Regular Season : 1. Boston Celtics — 126.52. Denver Nuggets — 122.23. New York Knicks — 120.44. Houston Rockets — 119.95. Oklahoma City Thunder —… t.co/siUREPg6nO pic.twitter.com/mbWfQbohTl
— Stat Defender (@statdefender) January 5, 2026 Chicago also needs to be ready in case this turns into a clutch game. If it does, they’ll have to tighten their defense around the arc. Boston holds the best three-point shooting percentage in the league during clutch situations. The Bulls aren’t exactly slouches there either; they rank tenth in clutch three-point percentage and have the second-most clutch wins this season.Teams With The Best 3PT% In The Clutch For The 2025-26 NBA Regular Season : 1. Boston Celtics — 50.0% 2. Golden State Warriors — 44.1% 3. New York Knicks — 42.9% 4. San Antonio Spurs — 41.3%5. Atlanta Hawks — 37.8% 5.… t.co/yb6LkXE99t pic.twitter.com/1KSXZEulZO
— Stat Defender (@statdefender) January 3, 2026 And finally, they need to find a way to deal with Boston’s three-headed monster: Brown, White, and Pritchard. Jaylen Brown is having an All-NBA level season, averaging 30 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while leading the league in field goals made per game. Derrick White has leveled up on both ends, putting up around 18 points a night and, in a game not that long ago, blocking seven shots as a 6’4″ guard.Derrick White vs Utah:27 PTS7 REB6 AST7 BLK (!!)The most blocks ever in a game by a Celtics guard. pic.twitter.com/GKcADAH80n
— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 31, 2025Injury Report
Chicago Bulls
Josh Giddey OUT (left hamstring) Jalen Smith OUT (concussion) Zach Collins OUT (toe) Trentyn Flowers OUT (knee) Noa Essengue OUT (left shoulder)Boston Celtics
Ron Harper Jr. DAY-TO-DAY (calf) Jayson Tatum OUT (Achilles) © Bob DeChiara-Imagn ImagesHence then, the article about pre gamin bulls vs celtics 6 30 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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