NBA

NBA 2026 Season: Chicago Bulls Defense Explained for Online Sports Betting

If you're looking into NBA sports betting for Chicago Bulls games right now, you've got to know that this team is in the midst of a defensive overhaul. They're not what they were a half-decade ago, but they're trying to build back toward respectability, and that means wild swings in how many points they allow. From a betting angle, that means: Game totals can be unpredictable. Some nights they hold down scoring, other nights they get torched. Opponent star props (points, threes, rebounds) can offer value when you spot matchups where the Bulls' new defense is shaky. Point spreads may move fast when the Bulls' defensive identity shows up (or fails to) early.

February 23, 2026

How the Bulls Play Defense (and What It Means for Betting)

Head coach Billy Donovan and his staff emphasize defensive effort, discipline and switching schemes. They've clearly stated that the next step for this rebuild is a "more tenacious defensive identity."

Key characteristics as of February 2026:

Their defensive rating last full season was around 115.6 (18th in NBA), not terrible, but not good
Early in the 2025-26 season the Bulls have shown flashes of improved defense, but also a lot of inconsistency
The roster is younger or less defensively proven in key spots, making them vulnerable to high-volume shooters and strong frontcourts

For basketball betting and online sports betting: Against teams that specialize in pace and extra possessions, the Bulls lean toward overs because their defense still gives up extra chances. Against slower or half-court offensive teams, there may be value on unders if the Bulls lock in. Watch for injuries, rotation changes or depth problems. Those drive lots of line movement when the Bulls are the defending side.

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Three Most Important Defensive Players (For Betting)

Here are the three Bulls defenders you should track when building betting angles. All are on the roster and active as of February 2026.

Josh Giddey – perimeter anchor

Giddey handles some of the orchestrating duties on defense from the guard spot. His size and versatility help the Bulls' guard-matchups improve.

Betting impact: When Giddey plays heavy minutes and doesn't pick up early fouls, the Bulls' guard-matchups improve. That might suppress the opponent guard's scoring, which means under props or tighter totals. If he's banged up or limited, expect more easy drives and higher totals.

Patrick Williams – forward-wing defender

Williams is long, switchable and still improving. He handles some of the tougher wing-defensive assignments.

Betting impact: If Williams is in a matchup guarding a high-usage wing and looks locked-in, you might lean toward under on that wing's scoring. If Williams is off the floor or mismatched, that wing becomes a playable prop in the "over" direction.

Nikola Vučević – veteran big and rebounder

Vučević isn't a defensive ace, but he plays starter minutes, rebounds, defends the post and gives the Bulls some size.

Betting impact: When Vučević grabs defensive boards and doesn't foul out, the Bulls give up fewer second-chance points, which supports unders or tighter totals. If he's out or in foul trouble early, opponent offensive-rebound props or second-chance points overs become more viable.

Where the Bulls Get Stops (and Where They Leak Points)

Perimeter pressure & switching

The Bulls emphasize defending screens, switching more than previously and trying to keep matchups clean.

Betting angle: Opponents with heavy ball-movement and open-3 games might find more success against the Bulls, which means overs or opponent threes-made props should be flagged. But if the Bulls' guards look disciplined and physical, some unders on opponent guards and wings become interesting.

Rim & rebounding issues

While improved, the Bulls still give up more second-chance points than elite defenses. Opponents exploit this via offensive rebounds and misses.

Betting angle: Good matchups for opponent bigs in steals or second-chance points. If you see the Bulls missing their rebounders (injury/rotation), consider overs on opponent second-chance points or even full-game totals.

Inconsistency & youth

The Bulls are in transition. Young pieces, rotation questions and effort inconsistency mean some nights they show up, some nights they don't.

Betting angle: Lean under only when you see lineups and effort that suggest they care (e.g., Williams plus Giddey plus Vučević in). Otherwise, treat Bulls games as more likely to trend toward overs unless the matchup pushes the other direction.

How Bulls Defense Affects Sports Betting Odds

Game totals tend to skew higher when the Bulls are involved or when the opponent is a high-volume offense. They're around 118.9 points allowed per 100 possessions, placing them in the lower half of defenses.

Opponent star scoring lines: If the star is a guard or wing and matchups favor them against Giddey/Williams, you might find value on overs. Live line movement: If the Bulls give up a quick bucket barrage, early turnovers or offensive rebound spree, totals can jump mid-game. Using a sports betting calculator helps you assess the live value.

Spread lines: The Bulls may not be trusted by cash bettors to hold leads because of defensive inconsistency, so look for spots where they're underdogs but have defensive matchups that favor lower opponent scoring.

Want to bet smarter, not harder? Explore Shurzy's Content Lab for proven betting strategies across NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, and more.

Simple Example: Using Bulls Defense in a Betting Angle

Suppose the Bulls host a high-pace team with a strong scoring wing. The board shows:

Game total: 234.5
Opponent team total: 120.5
Opponent wing points line: 24.5

You notice Bulls have Giddey, Williams and Vučević all healthy, that wing is matched with Williams for around 80% of his minutes historically, and opponent's big is weak on offensive boards, and Bulls have decent rebounding that night.

A betting angle:

Consider opponent wing under 24.5 points (alt line might be 22.5)
Consider full game total under 234.5 if you believe Bulls control the tempo defensively
Or build a same-game parlay: opponent wing under 22.5 + Bulls + points on spread if the line checks out in your app with a calculator

You can plug those into a sports betting calculator via your best sports betting apps or sports betting sites and see if the implied odds exceed your read on the matchup.