Chicago Bulls vs New Orleans Pelicans 3/24/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Predictions

Chicago Bulls vs. New Orleans Pelicans Matchup Preview (3/24/22)

The Chicago Bulls will try to turn things around and right the ship when they go on the road to battle with the New Orleans Pelicans. Chicago has struggled in the past few weeks, particularly over its past five games when it has gone 1-4. During that stretch, the Bulls’ only win came at home against the Toronto Raptors. Additionally, they have lost by double digits in blowout fashion in three of those four losses. The only game that they didn’t lose by ten or more points was against the forever-struggling Sacramento Kings.

The Pelicans have been on the other end of the spectrum since the All-Star break, ranking in the top ten in several key statistical categories, including offensive rating and defensive rating! While New Orleans won’t return Zion Williamson anytime this year, it can still be competitive for the next few weeks, especially if Brandon Ingram comes back from injury soon. Between Jonas Valanciunas, Brandon Ingram, C.J. McCollum, and Devonte Graham, the Pels have plenty of scorers who can fill it up on any given night. New Orleans just has to continue improving on the defensive end and it could put a six-game scare into a playoff team’s heart, assuming it can get that far. I covered the game in further detail under the betting odds section, so give it a look and see who I have winning!

Chicago Bulls vs. New Orleans Pelicans Betting Odds

Regardless of where the New Orleans Pelicans stand in the Western Conference, they have been playing reasonably well since the All-Star break. Since mid-February, they have played very competitive basketball, ranking in the top ten in offensive and defensive rating. Unfortunately, the Chicago Bulls have not been performing anywhere near that same level. Chicago has been in the bottom five in offensive rating and near the bottom ten in defensive rating in the past six weeks. Sometimes having a player like DeMar DeRozan or Zach LaVine can “override” these sorts of stats in individual games; however, this is a strong indicator of how the Bulls have been playing. I will take the New Orleans Pelicans’ Moneyline in this one if no new injury information comes out.

How To Watch

Date: 3/24/22
Time: 8:00 PM ET
Arena: Smoothie King Center – New Orleans, LA
Channel: NBA League Pass

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Chicago Bulls Starting Lineup

PG: Alex Caruso
SG: Zach LaVine
SF: DeMar DeRozan
PF: Javonte Green
C: Nikola Vucevic

Chicago Bulls Analysis

If I were a Chicago Bulls player, fan, or front office executive, I would be very concerned with where this team is at right now and how far they have to go to be a contender in the Eastern Conference. While the Bulls have had a somewhat successful season with a 42-30 record, they have been atrocious against competitive teams. To give you an exact idea, Chicago is 0-16 against the top three teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences, including the Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, and Milwaukee Bucks. It would be hard for the worst team in the NBA to accomplish that same feat, let alone a team with DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and several other talented players! Some of the Bulls’ struggles can be attributed to missing starting point guard Lonzo Ball, but returning him does not entirely fix the problem of being non-competitive against the best teams.

New Orleans Pelicans Starting Lineup

PG: Devonte’ Graham
SG: C.J. McCollum
SF: Herb Jones
PF: Jaxson Hayes
C: Jonas Valanciunas

New Orleans Pelicans Analysis

The fact that the New Orleans Pelicans are even remotely in the playoff hunt in the Western Conference is a borderline miracle. The Pels have not had their star Zion Williamson all season and started with a 1-12 record. They have since accumulated a 30-42 record, meaning that they have played at close to a .500 level since that atrocious beginning. If you are another play-in team in the Western Conference, New Orleans is probably not a team that you want to overlook. The Pelicans have been in the top ten in offensive and defensive rating since mid-February when they acquired C.J. McCollum, which makes them a bit of a threat. This would be especially true if New Orleans could return Brandon Ingram before the playoffs.

Chicago Bulls vs. New Orleans Pelicans Daily Fantasy Picks

In this game, Coby White may have some DFS value against the New Orleans Pelicans. At the same time, White has struggled a bit in the past two games, going 2-for-10 against the Milwaukee Bucks and 1-for-5 against the Toronto Raptors. In the six games prior, though, White averaged roughly 13 points, three rebounds, and three assists on 42% from the field. Shooting efficiency has been a concern in the past nine games; however, White should find his stroke sooner versus later. You will want to be ready for it when he does because it could result in a 20-25 point game.

Jonas Valanciunas has had another incredibly underappreciated season this year, averaging close to 18 points and 12 rebounds per game. Valanciunas has increased offensive responsibilities whenever Brandon Ingram is injured, and we have seen that specifically in the past seven games. During that period, Ingram has been out due to an injury, and Valanciunas has seen an increase in his offensive production. He has posted roughly 22 points and 12 rebounds on just shy of 16 field goal attempts per game. To give you an idea of the importance of that, Jonas had been shooting almost five fewer shots per game over his previous 16 games. These stats provide insight into a player’s value when a specific lineup is deployed or when someone is injured. In this case, as long as Brandon Ingram does not make a surprise appearance, Valanciunas is in line for a solid offensive workload.