Chicago Bulls vs Utah Jazz Prediction: Improved Bulls take on reeling Jazz

The NBA Regular Season is virtually at the mid-point stage and this season has been another fascinating one with records being shattered at an unprecedented rate. So has been the case in the past but with LeBron closing in on Kareem for all-time leading scorer, Doncic having a 61 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists night, and Donovan Mitchell scoring 71, there have been memories that are rare for a season. What memories will the battle between the Chicago Bulls and Utah Jazz leave?

The Bulls enter the game after defeating the Philadelphia 76ers 126:112 as Zach LaVine had an electric 41 points night. This was their second win in a row and although their record of 21 losses and 18 wins is nothing impressive, they have played much better lately. They defeated the Nets to break their 12-game winning streak and then they won against a Harden-led 76ers(Embiid was OUT). This is their best ten-game window this season where they have won seven out of 10 games, including four on the road and two close losses against the Cavaliers.

Although DeRozan has led the effort on the scoring end, there are 33, 43, and 41 points night for Zach LaVine sandwiched in between and these games were all wins for the Bulls. Nikola Vucevic has been much more aggressive on the rebounding end whereas there have been massive defensive and closeout improvements after the team had lost a bunch of close games in tandem. The Bulls have finally shown what they are capable of but they can’t relax yet because a lot of work is left to be done.

The Jazz comes into this game after defeating the Houston Rockets 131:114 as Lauri Markkanen had a career-high 49 points to break a five-game losing streak. The losses were all between 1-5 points and the Jazz could have easily had a 50%+ record but currently have 21 losses and 20 wins. Lauri is having the best season of his life and has scored 28 or more in seven of the eight contests. Apart from Markkanen, Jordan has been leading the charge with a continuous flow of 20+ points nights.

The offense is not a problem for the high-scoring Jazz, it is the defensive end that has been hurt, owing to their three-point heavy(fourth in the league in regards to both attempts and makes). The long list of guards has also resulted in the team lacking size, especially against big squads, and as a result, Jazz has given a bunch of offensive rebounds. And the lack of size has hurt in the paint where the opposition has scored the most against them(32.6 Field Goals per Game). Due to these factors, Utah has underperformed.

• Bulls: OUT: Lonzo Ball, Tony Bradley, JaVonte Green. Game-Time Decision: Alex Caruso;
• Jazz: OUT: Collin Sexton.

• Expected Leading Scorers: Lauri Markkanen(32-39 Points), DeMar DeRozan(30-36 Points), Zach LaVine(27-33 Points);
• Expected Leading Rebounders: Nikola Vucevic(11-14 Rebounds), Lauri Markkanen(10-13 Rebounds);
• Expected Leading Playmaker: Mike Conley(7-9 Assists)

The Bulls have discovered a strong winning formula but it is all about sustenance in this league, a brilliant ten-game window means nothing if a team slips up for the next 10-15 matches. The Jazz has shot themselves in the foot and their record should be much better. The Bulls played last night but coming home, they would get that momentum boost. I believe they will perform well here and eke out a win in a high-scorer. I predict a scoreline of 123:118 in favor of the Bulls.