Boston Celtics vs Chicago Bulls Prediction and Betting Tips for 2024 Emirates NBA Cup | Nov. 29    

The Boston Celtics head to the Windy City for a high-stakes Emirates NBA Cup showdown against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on Friday. A win for the rebuilding Bulls unit will see them shake up things in East Group C. However, they will also need the Atlanta Hawks to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers to take a better spot in the standings.

Chicago has the better of the Hawks based on their head-to-head wins, while the Celtics own the tiebreaker against the Cavaliers following their 120-117 on Nov. 19. A victory on Friday will also bolster Boston's chances of advancing, especially after they were pegged as favorites to sweep in the NBA Cup in addition to their title defense ahead of the NBA 2024-25 season.

Both teams have had contrasting runs. While the C's are consistent, the Bulls have trounced opponents while also being tamed by some. It's been a classic one step forward, two steps back as they stand tenth in the East with an 8-12 record. Boston is 15-3, superbly spearheaded by Jayson Tatum leading the side in points, rebounds, assists, and steals.

The 'revenge tour' narrative seems to be working in the versatile forward's favor as he continues to prop up solid numbers which have been directly proportional to the team's stellar run so far.

This will be the first meeting between the two teams this season. The defending champions won the regular-season matchup 2-1 last year. They also lead Chicago 134-109 in 243 regular season matchups.

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Boston Celtics vs Chicago Bulls preview, predicted starting lineups, betting tips, odds, and prediction

The Boston Celtics vs Chicago Bulls matchup tips off at 8 p.m. EST. Local coverage will be on NBCS-BOS and CHSN. The game can be streamed live on Fubo TV and the NBA app with a subscription to the NBA League Pass.

Here are the odds as listed at the time of writing.

Teams	Spread	Total (o/u)	Moneyline
Boston Celtics	-10.5	o242 (-110)	-500
Chicago Bulls	+10.5	u242 (-110)	+375

Note: Odds are subject to change closer to tip-off.

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Boston Celtics vs Chicago Bulls Preview

The Bulls have been below par on defense, with their latest loss against the Orlando Magic proving to be another defensive dud. It was common knowledge that their defense would walk right out alongside Alex Caruso. Now, they are one of the teams languishing in the bottom three teams in defense. Letting it fly from the 3-point line hasn't been the ideal solution, but playing with pace has worked in their favor to an extent.

Give to the Bulls to be scrappy. For a side that was expected to be out of the Top 10, they are seeded tenth after pulling off some gritty wins in their eight Ws. There's no doubt that this outfit is unpredictable. They have toggled between decisive and delightful to woeful and worrisome in their 20 games. Irrespective of the outcome, the likes of Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic are steadily increasing their stock value with healthy numbers on the board.

With both their remaining superstars almost certain to find a new home by the end of the deadline, the Bulls' rebuild will be officially complete, while also dictating how their season ends. With little to no expectations to even make the playoffs, Chicago has looked at putting their plans of carving a new identity in motion. Their home record has been paltry as they are 1-4 in their last five games at the United Center. They average 118 points per contest but also concede 123.6 points plunking them at the bottom of the NBA in defense this season.

The Boston Celtics have had a few hiccups, but have bounced back admirably. With just three losses, they are the second team in the league with the least number of losses behind the Cleveland Cavaliers. They come off a dominant 106-94 win against the LA Clippers, a team that showcased lockdown defense. Their losses have been nothing more than that odd bump in the road as their stars, Tatum and Jaylen Brown (25.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game) continue to dismantle their opponents on both ends of the floor.

Kristaps Porzingis' return adds more teeth to the side and all that Boston needs to do is rebuild that cold chemistry. Their relentless offense averaging just over 120 points per every 100 possessions sees them take third in the league in scoring offense. They are sixth in defense, allowing their opponents just 109.6 points per contest.

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Boston Celtics vs Chicago Bulls Predicted Starting Lineups

The Celtics are most likely to stick to the same starting lineup from their last game. Luke Kornet (hamstring) is listed as probable.

Position	Player
PG	Jrue Holiday
SG	Derrick White
SF	Jaylen Brown
PF	Jayson Tatum
C	Kristaps Porzingis

The Bulls have listed Lonzo Ball (wrist) as probable. Jalen Smith (ankle) is questionable as is Dalen Terry (ankle) and Coby White (wrist). Patrick Williams (foot) is ruled out. Expect them to bring Ball into the starting lineup if White sits out.

Player	Position
PG	Josh Giddey
SG	Coby White/Lonzo Ball
SF	Zach LaVine
PF	Ayo Dosunmu
C	Nikola Vucevic

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Boston Celtics vs Chicago Bulls Betting Tips

Zach LaVine's scintillating form has him listed with an o/u of +100/-109 on points. Josh Giddey is -115/-105 on points. Ayo Dosunmu is -108/-114 on points. For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum is -106/-105 on points and Jaylen Brown is -109/-110 on points + rebounds.

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Boston Celtics vs Chicago Bulls Prediction

The Boston Celtics are overwhelming favorites to win the matchup, but the Bulls have been one of those teams grabbing wins against potential title contenders. They will bank on LaVine and Vucevic to get them past Boston who are versatile and clinical. Take a Celtics win as they make a surge in their regular season standings and inch closer to advancing ahead in the NBA Cup.