The Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls head into Wednesday night’s game with intentions to rebound after challenging stretches. Cleveland is favored going into this game and is trying to overcome some injuries to key players. Can the Bulls take down their division rivals at home? Here, I break down this Central Division contest and bring you my Cavaliers vs Bulls prediction from United Center.
Our Cavaliers vs Bulls Pick
- Pick: Bulls +5.5
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Cleveland Cavaliers @ Chicago Bulls
- Date & Time: Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 8:00 PM ET
- Venue: United Center, Chicago, IL
- Broadcast: NBA League Pass
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Key Storylines
- The Cavaliers are coping with notable absences as Evan Mobley is sidelined for multiple weeks with a calf strain. Max Strus, Sam Merrill, and Larry Nance Jr. are also unavailable due to injury. This places a greater offensive burden on Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland and a bigger burden on Jarrett Allen on defense.
- Cleveland has been inconsistent recently, dropping six games in their last 10 outings. The Cavs lost at home to the lowly Charlotte Hornets in their last game and will try to bounce back from playing poorly of late.
- The Bulls have dropped four of their last five games. That includes a loss at home to the struggling New Orleans Pelicans in their last outing. Chicago will try to bounce back from their poor performances of late with a win at home here.
- Cleveland's defense is much more effective than that of Chicago so far this season. The Bulls have allowed 122.4 points per game this season, the second-most in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland has the advantage on that end of the floor in most cases, but the absence of Mobley has made it tougher on the Cavs to defend of late.
Head-to-Head & Betting Trends
- Cleveland won the first game between these teams this season by a score of 128-122 on November 8.
- Cleveland is 8-19 against the spread this season, the worst record in the league against the spread.
- Chicago is 11-14 against the spread going into Wednesday night.
- The Bulls have stayed under the total in 13 of their first 25 games of the season.
- Cleveland has seen 15 of 27 games stay under their respective totals.
Best Player Props to Watch
Player | Prop |
|---|
Donovan Mitchell | Over 29.5 Points |
Darius Garland | Under 7.5 Assists |
Nikola Vucevic | Over 14.5 Points |
Coby White | Over 21.5 Points |
Cavaliers vs Bulls Model Projection
Score Projection: Cavaliers 118 – Bulls 116
Win Probability: Cavaliers 61%, Bulls 39%
Final Thoughts
I'm inclined to take the points with the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs are dealing with a ton of injuries and should be in for a close game on the road, even if the stars of the Cavs should help to deliver them to a victory in this matchup.
Jay Sanin
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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