Chicago Bulls vs Cleveland Cavaliers – Preview & Prediction (Dec. 17, 2025)
Game overview and team form
Chicago started the season hot with five straight wins, but things went sideways after that. They’ve only picked up five wins in the next 15 games and sit near the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 10-15 record. Even worse, they’ve managed just one win in their last nine outings — a 129-126 road win over Charlotte — then followed it with a home loss to the Pelicans, a team that’s struggled all year.
That Pelicans game showed the Bulls’ biggest issue: they fall apart defensively in crunch time. New Orleans outscored them by a lot in the fourth quarter and exploited sloppy defense and turnovers. Coby White led Chicago in that matchup with 20 points; Kevin Huerter and Nikola Vucevic chipped in, but production has been inconsistent. Over the season White is leading the team in scoring at around 21.7 points per game (though he’s missed time), while Josh Giddey has been a bright spot with roughly a 20-9-9 stat line. Still, the Bulls rank near the bottom in both offensive and defensive ratings, so their struggles aren’t a big surprise.
The Cavaliers entered the season with higher expectations after last year’s strong finish, but they’ve been uneven. Cleveland is 15-12 and has won only three of their last nine contests. Most recently they suffered a surprising home defeat to Charlotte, a game that went to overtime after a late three-pointer, and then the Cavs failed to score in the extra period — a rare collapse.
Donovan Mitchell is carrying the scoring load, putting up roughly 30.7 points per game this season, while Darius Garland has shown flashes but hasn’t shot efficiently. Jarrett Allen’s production has been quieter recently and Evan Mobley is out with an injury, which has impacted their frontcourt. Overall, Cleveland still rates among the better offensive and defensive teams, but they’ve looked less sharp lately and could use more consistency on both ends.
Head-to-head, injuries and prediction
Head-to-head, the Cavaliers have owned recent meetings — Cleveland is on a five-game winning streak against Chicago and already beat them 128-122 earlier this season.
Injury and availability notes: the Bulls are without Noa Essengue for the season, while Ayo Dosunmu and Lachlan Olbrich are listed as questionable. The Cavaliers are missing Evan Mobley and Larry Nance Jr., with Max Strus, Sam Merrill and Luke Travers listed as questionable.
Prediction: Cleveland looks like the deeper, more well-rounded team and should be able to handle the Bulls. Expect the Cavs to play a cleaner game and cover the spread.
Tip-off: Wednesday, Dec. 17 — 8:00 p.m. EST
Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers -4.5
