Washington vs Chicago Prediction: the Bulls Have Weakened

Chicago was a very uncomfortable opponent for Washington last season: the capital club lost 3 out of 3 faceoffs. The odds of the Wizards' win have dropped dramatically - should we follow the crowd and bet on the home team? 

The competition in the East has grown tremendously, and the Wizards are not really seen as even a playoff contender before the start of the season. And perhaps for a good reason. Bradley Beal will be motivated after last season's disappointing performance, Kyle Kuzma is slowly climbing toward stardom, and Kristaps Porzingis has something to prove. Washington has an attractive pool of role players like Monte Morris, Will Barton, and Daniel Gafford, and there is still hope for the progress of Rui Hachimura, Corey Kispert, and Deni Avdija. Kispert, however, is still in the infirmary with Avdija and Vernon Carey, Jr.

Wes Unseld, Jr. won only 1 of 4 preseason games, but the regular season started successfully. The Wizards defeated Indiana 114-107 on the road. Beal, Kuzma, and Porzingis shot a lot from beyond the arc, and thanks in large part to Will Barton, the team's three-point percentage improved to 35.5%. Washington played good defense in the paint and scored a lot of turnovers. Bradley Beal was the most productive player for the Wizards. He added six assists to his 23 points.

The Bulls were in the unenviable position of losing Lonzo Ball to injury, but the club can still benefit from that. Young Ayo Dosunmu won the competition for a spot in the starting five, and in the 1st game of the regular season, he began to prove that the coach trusted him for a reason. There is hope that Patrick Williams will continue to progress, but for now, the entire game will be built through DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. DeRozan played at a very high-level last season, and he can still hold his own. LaVine, on the other hand, was injured during the regular season and will not play against Washington.

DeRozan confirmed his status as the Bulls' most significant star in their opening game against Miami. He scored 14 of 22 shots and added nine assists to his 37 points. Dragic and Dosunmu shot well from beyond the arc, while Alex Caruso missed a lot from beyond the arc. Drummond did well off the bench and combined Nikola Vucevic to lead the rebounding effort. Billy Donovan's squad defended well: A team-high 12 steals also made a big difference in the final score.

Washington head coach Wes Unseld Jr. is known for his playmaking ability on defense, and the team should contain a weakened Chicago. The Bulls depend greatly on DeRozan's play, and if he can be neutralized, the home team's chances of success will improve. The Wizards did not use all their offensive potential against Indiana, but they can do better on their home court. The Metropolitan club played only one home game in the preseason and failed to win. Now they have enough motivation to impress their fans finally.

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