Bulls vs Pelicans

Chicago’s 9-7 start and relatively healthy core built around Nikola Vucevic and Josh Giddey stand in stark contrast to a Pelicans team sitting at 2-15 and riding an eight-game losing streak despite Zion Williamson recently returning from a hamstring issue and still dealing with absences like Jordan Poole and Dejounte Murray in the backcourt. New Orleans has been consistently outclassed even at home, including recent losses to the Lakers, Thunder, Warriors, Nuggets and Mavericks, while last year’s matchup in Chicago reminded us how dangerous a fully healthy Zion–Trey Murphy combo can be against this Bulls front line, adding some upset risk. Given Chicago’s superior form, cleaner injury report and backcourt stability versus a shaken Pelicans group that just changed coaches, the Bulls’ -205 moneyline is justified but not cheap, so this is a B-grade play: solid edge but only moderate value for the price. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 24/11/2025 09:59am

Zion Williamson’s return certainly boosts New Orleans’ offense, but the recent scoring profile for both teams makes 242.5 look a touch too high, as Pelicans games against the Trail Blazers, Lakers, Thunder, Warriors, Nuggets and Mavericks have mostly landed in the low-to-mid 230s or below, while Chicago’s last two non-garbage-time contests outside of the Heat blowout (122-121 in Portland, 107 points vs Miami) also suggest more ordinary pace and efficiency. Even with the Pelicans’ porous defense and the Bulls’ occasional defensive collapses, New Orleans’ half-court-heavy offense around Zion and Trey Murphy plus a Bulls team that leans on Vucevic post touches and Giddey-driven pick-and-rolls typically chews clock instead of playing hyper-accelerated, which makes cracking 243 points require both extreme shooting and sustained runouts. Factoring in the Pelicans’ tired legs from constant losing, their injury-thinned guard rotation, and Chicago’s tendency to slow things late when ahead, the Under 242.5 at -110 earns an A- grade for combining a strong likelihood with solid value. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 24/11/2025 09:59am

Trey Murphy III’s recent scoring bursts and Zion Williamson’s matchup history against Chicago — he helped power a 119-113 win over the Bulls last season — are reasons to respect New Orleans’ ceiling, but the Pelicans’ current eight-game skid, shaky backcourt and injuries to pieces like Jordan Poole and Dejounte Murray have repeatedly left them unable to keep games within single digits against strong opponents. Chicago has its own health concerns, with Zach Collins sidelined and role players such as Jalen Smith, Matas Buzelis and Dalen Terry dealing with recent knocks, yet Vucevic, Giddey and Ayo Dosunmu have mostly kept them competitive, and the Pelicans’ recent home losses by 8, 14, 17 and 18 points to the Blazers, Lakers, Thunder and Warriors illustrate how quickly things snowball when their offense stalls. Still, laying five on the road with a Bulls team that just got blown out by Miami introduces backdoor and volatility risk, so Bulls -5 at -115 is only a C+ grade: slight edge, but the spread and price leave less attractive upside than the total or moneyline. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 24/11/2025 09:59am