Cleveland Cavaliers vs Chicago Bulls Preseason Game Prediction and Preview | Oct. 18, 2024

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls wrap up their preseason schedules on Friday with a showdown at United Center. While Chicago has a chance to finish above .500 in exhibition play, Cleveland is seeking its first victory.

The Bulls (2-2) can build off Wednesday's 125-123 home win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Combo guard Coby White led the way in that outing, finishing with a game-high 23 points.

On the flip side, the Cavaliers (0-3) are coming off a 108-92 Wednesday road loss to the Detroit Pistons. While teams typically don't give 100% effort during the preseason, the veteran squad would likely prefer to enter the regular season on a high note.

Cleveland can also achieve redemption after falling 116-112 to Chicago in the teams' Oct. 8 exhibition opener. White tallied a game-best 21 points in that contest, seemingly continuing where he left off during last year's breakout campaign.

Despite their poor record, the Cavaliers are again projected to finish in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff picture this season. The Donovan Mitchell-led squad placed fourth in the East (48-34) last season, falling 4-1 to the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics in the postseason's second round.

Conversely, the Bulls appear to be entering a retooling phase following star forward DeMar DeRozan's offseason departure to the Sacramento Kings. The Zach LaVine-led franchise finished ninth in the East last season (39-43) but could take a step back in the 2024-25 campaign.

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Cleveland Cavaliers vs Chicago Bulls odds, preview and prediction

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls' preseason battle is scheduled for 8 p.m. EDT on Friday at United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

The contest will be broadcast on Bally Sports Ohio and Chicago Sports Network. It can also be streamed on NBA League Pass and FuboTV.

Moneyline: Cavaliers (-160) vs Bulls (+135)

Spread: Cavaliers -3.5 (-110) vs Bulls +3.5 (-110)

Total (Over/Under): o221.5 (-110) vs u221.5 (-110)

Editor's note: The odds could change closer to tipoff, as the odds listed were based on available information at the time of writing.

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Cleveland Cavaliers vs Chicago Bulls preview

Cleveland has a more proven roster than Chicago, with the matchup's top player (Mitchell) and superior frontcourt defenders (Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen). However, the Bulls still have respectable offensive firepower for a team projected to miss the playoffs.

Through two and three preseason outings, respectively, White and LaVine are averaging a combined 40.0 points per game. Meanwhile, big men Nikola Vucevic and Jalen Smith are each averaging near double-doubles, and combo guard Josh Giddey has provided a playmaking influx.

The Cavaliers have been cautious with their starters thus far, with none averaging over 22.0 minutes per game. Mobley is their leading scorer at just 14.5 ppg across two appearances. Thus, they seemingly haven't been too focused on winning.

However, Cleveland reportedly entered Wednesday night planning to use its final two exhibition contests as tune-up opportunities for the regular season. Meanwhile, the franchise's only key player on its injury report is sharpshooting wing Max Strus (hip).

So, Mitchell, Mobley, Allen and point guard Darius Garland could see more playing time on Friday as the Cavaliers flesh out their rotation.

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Cleveland Cavaliers vs Chicago Bulls projected starting lineups

With Strus (hip) questionable, Cleveland's starting lineup should be as follows:

PG: Darius Garland SG: Donovan Mitchell SF: Max Strus (DTD)/Caris LeVert PF: Evan Mobley C: Jarrett Allen

Meanwhile, with no starters' statuses in question, Chicago should trot out the following starting unit:

PG: Josh Giddey SG: Coby White SF: Zach LaVine PF: Patrick Williams C: Nikola Vucevic

Editor's note: These are projected starting lineups and could change as players' availabilities are updated closer to game time.

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Cleveland Cavaliers vs Chicago Bulls prediction

The Cavaliers will likely be motivated to get in the win column during their preseason finale after underwhelming thus far. With a more well-rounded squad than the Bulls, if they lock in, they should secure a road victory while covering the spread (-3.5).

Meanwhile, both teams have been involved in multiple high-scoring exhibition affairs thus far. So, they should surpass their 221.5 over/under point total, as they did in their previous clash.

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