Our Wizards vs Bulls prediction lands on a scheduling quirk that matters more than either team’s two-game record. Both clubs are 1-1, both played Friday, and both are on the second night of a back-to-back at the United Center. The market has Washington as a short road favorite at -1.5 with the total at 244.0. Below, we work through availability, rest and pace before naming two plays.
Last Updated: October 24, 2026
Washington Wizards vs. Chicago Bulls — Time and How To Watch
| Where | United Center, Chicago IL |
| When | October 24 – 8:00 PM ET |
| TV | Chicago Sports Network, Monumental Sports Network |
Washington Wizards vs. Chicago Bulls Betting Preview
Availability comes first, and the biggest open question sits with Washington. No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa sprained his left ankle in the preseason finale and has missed both games so far. Head coach Brian Keefe has called him day-to-day, but his status for tonight had not been settled at the time of writing. Treat any Washington read here as provisional until the final report. Tristan Vukcevic (hip) and Jamir Watkins (season-ending ACL) are out. For Chicago, Nic Claxton remains out with a hamstring strain, and Josh Giddey has been playing through a sprained left wrist.
Form has been uneven on both sides. Washington opened by beating Milwaukee 128-116, as Anthony Davis posted 34 points and 12 rebounds in his Wizards debut. Trae Young added 20 points and 13 assists. Friday went worse. Toronto won 112-102 in Washington, forcing 23 turnovers and holding Davis to nine points.
Chicago’s opener was a 135-92 loss in Toronto, the worst season-opening defeat in franchise history. The Bulls committed 27 turnovers that night. However, they answered Friday afternoon with a 132-125 win in Milwaukee, led by 25 points from Norman Powell. Tonight is the home opener and the first United Center game for new head coach Tiago Splitter. Both rosters have turned over heavily since last season. Washington went 17-65 and Chicago went 31-51, so those numbers are context rather than a guide.
The matchup that shapes the number is Davis against a Chicago frontcourt missing Claxton. The Bulls have leaned on Jalen Smith and No. 4 pick Caleb Wilson up front, and Davis is a different class of interior scorer. In contrast, Washington’s own glass work slipped badly on Friday. Toronto won the offensive-rebound battle 18-6 and the paint 52-32. Chicago crashes the offensive boards at a high rate, so that is an area where the home side can claw back possessions. Meanwhile, Young’s playmaking has been steady, with 13 and 12 assists in his first two games. That puts pressure on a Bulls group that has turned the ball over at a high rate, since live-ball giveaways feed his best looks.
Washington Wizards vs. Chicago Bulls Odds
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wizards | -1.5 (-110) | -115 | O 244.0 (-110) |
| Bulls | +1.5 (-110) | -105 | U 244.0 (-110) |
Odds accurate as of October 24, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest NBA Odds – Futures – Props
Washington Wizards vs. Chicago Bulls — Who Is the Public Betting?
| Wizards | 71% | 29% | Bulls |
See the latest NBA Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
Wizards vs. Bulls Prediction — Who Got Home First on Friday Night?
Both teams are on a back-to-back, but the two halves of it are not equal. Chicago’s game in Milwaukee was moved to a 4:00 PM ET tip on Friday. That left the Bulls a short trip home and a full evening off. Washington hosted Toronto at 7:00 PM in the capital, then had to travel to Chicago overnight. Rest disparity is one of the more reliable situational edges in the sport, and it shows up most in late-game legs and defensive effort. Chicago also gets a home-opener crowd, though home court is a modest edge and not the core of this read.
The market has quietly leaned the same way. Washington opened at -120 on the moneyline, with Chicago at +100. The Wizards are now -115 and the Bulls -105. Meanwhile, 71% of spread tickets and 64% of moneyline tickets back Washington. A price drifting toward the less popular side is reverse line movement. The spread has also stayed frozen at 1.5 despite that lopsided ticket count. Together those are the footprint of money on Chicago rather than noise. Washington’s ball security is the other piece. The Wizards gave Toronto 23 extra possessions on Friday, and a tired road team rarely cleans that up on short rest.
Still, the case against is real. Chicago’s own turnover problem has been worse, at 18.9 per 100 possessions across two games. Giddey’s wrist is a live concern for a team that runs its offense through him. Davis and Young are the two best players on the floor, and a Dybantsa debut would add a third scorer. The upside is that a one-and-a-half-point line asks Chicago only to avoid a narrow loss in its own building.
The Pick: Bulls +1.5 (-110)
Wizards vs. Bulls Prediction — Two Bottom-Tier Defenses, One Fast Floor
Pace sets the volume here. Through two games, Chicago has averaged 112.0 points while scoring only 103.3 per 100 possessions. That works out to roughly 108 possessions a night, which is a very fast floor. The Bulls also generate extra trips through offensive rebounding, at 15.7 per 100 possessions. Washington has been more efficient, at 110.9 points per 100. Defensively, neither side has earned trust. By midseason last year, the Wizards ranked 29th in points allowed per 100 possessions and the Bulls 27th. Both have already given up 125 or more in a game this season.
The total has moved from 242.5 to 244.0, so the market agrees with the direction. The risk is shooting. Fatigue on a back-to-back shows up in jump shots, and three-point variance is the largest source of noise in any basketball total. Chicago’s results show the range, with 227 combined points in Toronto and 257 in Milwaukee. That said, possessions and free throws carry more weight than one night’s shooting, and this game should have plenty of both.
The Pick: Over 244.0 (-110)
Our Final Word on Wizards vs. Bulls
Both picks lean partly on the same input. The rest gap favors Chicago’s side, while the pace read assumes tired defenses give up more than tired offenses lose. If Dybantsa is cleared, Washington gains a scorer and a body on the wing, which strengthens the Over and slightly weakens the Bulls’ side. Check the final injury report before tip, because that single designation is the biggest unresolved variable on the board. For context on how each team arrived here, see our earlier Bulls vs. Bucks prediction and Bucks vs. Wizards prediction.
Bulls +1.5 at -110 is the stronger play, because the rest edge and reverse line movement on the moneyline both point to Chicago. Over 244.0 at -110 follows, because a 108-possession Bulls pace meets two defenses that ranked near the bottom of the league last season.
NBA Wizards vs. Bulls FAQ: October 24, 2026
What time does the Wizards vs. Bulls game start?
The Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls tip off at 8:00 PM ET on Saturday, October 24, 2026, which is 7:00 PM local time in Chicago. It is the Bulls’ first home game of the 2026-27 season and the second night of a back-to-back for both teams.
What channel is the Wizards vs. Bulls game on?
The game airs on regional television. Chicago Sports Network carries the Bulls broadcast in the Chicago market, and Monumental Sports Network carries the Wizards broadcast in the Washington market.
Where are the Wizards and Bulls playing?
The Wizards and Bulls play at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. It is Chicago’s home opener after the Bulls began the season with road games in Toronto and Milwaukee, and it is also the first home game for new Bulls head coach Tiago Splitter.
What are the Wizards’ and Bulls’ records this season?
Both teams enter at 1-1. Washington beat Milwaukee 128-116 in its opener and then lost 112-102 to Toronto on Friday. Chicago lost 135-92 in Toronto to open the season and then beat Milwaukee 132-125 on Friday afternoon.
Is Nic Claxton playing tonight?
No. Nic Claxton is listed as out for the Bulls with a strained left hamstring, and he has not played yet this season. Reports have pointed to an early November return, which leaves Chicago thinner in the frontcourt against Anthony Davis.