Bulls vs. 76ers prediction, odds, pick, how to watch – 12/18/2023

The Chicago Bulls head to the City of Brotherly Love to take on the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on Monday night. Below is our NBA odds series as ClutchPoints hands out a Bulls-76ers prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the game.

The Bulls (10-17) are coming off a trip from South Beach, where they split their two games against the Miami Heat. In the first game, they raced out to a historic 33-8 lead to open the first quarter before just holding on to win, 124-116. Coby White led the way for Chicago with 26 points, while backup guard Ayo Dosunmu added 24 points off the bench. Unfortunately, the Bulls weren't able to replicate the same results as Heat star Jimmy Butler drained the game-winner at the buzzer to give Miami the 118-116 win in the rematch. DeMar DeRozan led the way this time around with 27 points, while Patrick Williams scored 25 points.

Meanwhile, the 76ers (18-7) are riding the high of a 52-point blowout win over the Charlotte Hornets. Philadelphia put together a masterclass on both ends of the floor as it scored 135 points on 60.2 percent shooting while holding Charlotte to just 82 points. Joel Embiid continues to make a strong case for back-to-back MVP awards after he tallied 42 points and 15 rebounds on 18-of-23 field goal shooting.

The Bulls have gone 12-14 against the spread this season, with a 6-7-1 record on away from the United Center. Their games have also finished above the over in 17 of its 27 games so far, including a 9-4 record on the road.

Chicago is surprisingly a heavy underdog in this one, considering the team has played better as of late. The Bulls have won five of their last eight games. They could have easily won two of their losses as well — against the Bucks, where they lost in overtime and against the Heat where Butler broke their hearts with a game-winner.

Coby White has arguably been the lone bright spot in what has been a rather dark season in Chicago. The 23-year-old has especially stepped it up a notch since disgruntled star Zach LaVine went down with a right foot injury. In those eight games, White averaged 25.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.5 assists while shooting 49.3 percent from the field, including 49.4 percent from beyond the arc.

Patrick Williams has also played much better as of late after a slumping start to his fourth season. Since regaining his spot in the starting lineup, Williams has averaged 14.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.1 stocks, while shooting over 53.9 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from three.

DeMar DeRozan is still continuing to lead this team in scoring (22.5 points) and assists (5.2) this season. Meanwhile, Nikola Vucevic is also having a strong season with averages of 16.5 points and 10.6 rebounds.

Zach LaVine will remain on the sidelines for this one, while Alex Caruso is listed as questionable after he suffered an ankle injury against the Heat on December 14th and missed the rematch two days later. Torrey Craig also exited the Miami game early due to heal soreness and is doubtful against Philly.

Why The 76ers Could Cover The Spread

Meanwhile, the 76ers have gone 18-7 against the spread this season and are 10-3 at Wells Fargo Center. In the over/under, they are 17-8, with an 8-5 record at home.

The Sixers have been dismantling their opponents as of late. They've won their last four games by an average of 37 (!) points. Granted, these are against three of the worst teams in the Association right now — the Pistons, Wizards, and Hornets. Nonetheless, this is still impressive and shows just how locked in Philadelphia is right now.

It's hard to believe, but Joel Embiid has dialed it up a notch from his MVP campaign a season ago. He is once again leading the league in scoring with an average of 34.2 points to go along with 11.7 rebounds and a career-high 6.0 assists.

Tyrese Maxey is also proving to be the perfect co-star for Embiid and is in line for his first All-Star campaign. On the season, Maxey is averaging career numbers across the board — 25.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 6.7 assists.

Tobias Harris is averaging 16.8 points and has settled nicely as the team's third star.

Philly enters this game healthy and whole as the team has no notable injuries on its IL report.

Final Bulls-76ers Prediction & Pick

Though the Bulls have been more competitive as of late, it's hard to ignore just what the Sixers have been doing over their last four games. The 76ers have become a force on both ends of the floor, as they're now No. 2 in offensive rating and No. 5 in defensive rating this season. Take the over as well, as the Sixers and Bulls have been putting up points on the board as of late. Philly has averaged 131.8 points over its last five, while Chicago is at 119.2 over the same stretch.