The Bulls have won nine of their last 14 games after acquiring Patrick Beverley, who has been a game-changer and a profitable addition at both ends of the court. With every game being vital for their playoff hopes, expect the Bulls to bring their A-game. Alex Caruso’s return from injury will boost their defense, as the Beverley-Caruso tandem has proven to be elite. Despite being mid-table, the Bulls have a chance to be the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Lakers have won three straight games but are plagued by injuries, including key players: LeBron James and D’Angelo Russell. Although Russell may return to the starting lineup, the Lakers are still without James. Despite this, the Lakers have been consistent and can still pose a challenge to any team in the league.

Chicago hopes to take advantage of the Lakers’ disruptions and exploit their poor defense, especially with Anthony Davis expected to dominate Nikola Vucevic and Andre Drummond in the post. Meanwhile, the homecoming trend continues for the Bulls, as DeMar DeRozan returns to Los Angeles. It would be nice to see Zach Lavine and Coby White replicate their scoring efforts from the last game. With a 5.5-point underdog status at the bookies, Chicago may just cause an upset in this game.