Chicago vs New Orleans: the Bulls to have no problem beating the Pelicans

The revamped Chicago Bulls started the new league with a win over Detroit. Billy Donovan's team is going to face New Orleans next. Will the Bulls manage to win their second game in a row? There are several options to bet on.

Billy Donovan's team, of course, has gotten stronger. The Bulls now have a solid point guard, Lonzo Ball, who relieves Zach LaVine of his duties; an excellent forward, DeMar DeRozan; and one of the most interesting big men in the NBA today, Nikola Vucevic. Chicago's starting five now looks like one of the strongest in the East.

That's where it stops, and the game against Detroit proved it. The Bulls won 94-88 and of their team's 94 points, 84 came from key players. The Bulls' rotation is clearly insufficient. It should get easier once Coby White recovers, but not by much, it seems. Weak roster depth is what will prevent the Chicago Bulls from facing truly serious challenges this season.

Stan Van Gundy, the Pelicans' last season head coach, is clearly feeling better than his former team now. Van Gundy is back on television and has already started working on new season games. The Pelicans, on the other hand, are clearly in a stalemate. The promising team came into the new league with a weakened roster, inexperienced coach Willie Green and no viable prospects.

In their first game of the season, the Pelicans, still without Zion Williamson, were completely defeated by Philadelphia, 97-17. Even Brandon Ingram's 25 points didn't help Orleans.

• Chicago: Coby White will not play.
• New Orleans: Zion Williamson will not play.

In the last two seasons, the teams are evenly matched with two wins each. In addition, the rivals met in the preseason 2021 where Chicago confidently beat New Orleans (121-85).

There shouldn't be a blowout like a recent preseason game, of course. But Chicago is still more likely to win. The Pelicans, especially at the start of the league, have a ton of problems, and it's unclear whether someone will be able to take over the point guard role as effectively as Lonzo did last season; whether Willie Green will be a good coach; and whether Jonas Valanciunas, who was good in Memphis but not really in Toronto, will be able to prove himself. In addition, Zion Williamson is injured, which also has a negative impact on the Pelicans' prospects.

The prediction: Chicago will win. 

Betting options:

• Handicap Chicago (-5.5) for 1.82;
• New Orleans Individual Total Under (110.5) for 1.60.