11/22 Utah vs. Chicago
7:00 pm MT – AT&T SportsNet/League Pass
Opponent record: 3-10
Season series: Tied 0-0
The Chicago Bulls have been one of the league’s true trash teams so far this year, to put it bluntly. Although some teams have had highs and lows and at least shown some reason for optimism, the Bulls have been pretty much consistently bad. Their only wins on the season have come against the equally terrible Atlanta Hawks, a surprise blow-out win over the apparently inconsistent Orlando Magic and a scrape-by victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
Beyond that, it’s been largely blowout after blowout for the Bulls, which hardly comes as much of a surprise given their roster makeup and the tumultuous state of the front office. As much as the Jazz – losers of seven of their last nine contests and without their most important player in Rudy Gobert – have struggled, I simply don’t see a scenario where they are outmatched by this bad Chicago team, especially at home.
"Everybody played hard...and kept on fighting. It was a great team win." @KrisDunn3 on @CinkciarzPL's Inside the Locker Room: pic.twitter.com/bGmuQKFQwY
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) November 18, 2017
Although Utah only just earned their first road win on Saturday, they still have looked good at home for the most part and boast a positive 6-4 record at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Not only that, but Chicago will be coming into this game on the second night of a back-to-back whereas Utah will come in on a day of rest after completing a road trip.
It worries me somewhat that the Jazz tended to play poorly at home on the first night after a long road slate, but I still have a hard time seeing them come out sluggish enough to lose to such a disappointing Chicago team. Therefore, I’m feeling quite confident in my prediction of pinning the Jazz as victors in the second game of the week.
My Prediction: Jazz Win
Final Score: Utah 107, Chicago 92