The Chicago Bulls are also 2-1 through the NBA Cup, despite not having the strongest regular season record to show for it. The biggest barrier for betting props here is the big 10-point spread, but if they can keep this competitive then it could be an absolute goldmine considering the 244 total. The Celtics take an extremely high volume of threes and force opposing teams to be very aggressive in the scoring department to respond, which should be beneficial for our Bulls props. While Colby White is still questionable, Patrick Williams has already been ruled out, if White misses that could be a huge boost for Josh Giddey.

While he’s not having the strongest start to the season, Giddey played 76 games in the 22-23 season, recording averages of 16.6 points on 48.2 percent shooting, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists, he’s proven that he can handle a high volume role in the past. He’s currently averaging 12.1 points on the season, and this number seemingly hasnt adjusted for White missing or not being at 100%. The Celtics’ defense is good, but they are better at taking away one-dimensional players.

Giddey hasnt been an efficient shooter but does do a lot of things well on the offensive side of the ball, and I think he will surprise some people against the Celtics in primetime.

With a 15-3 record, the Celtics are currently second in the East. In their last game, they cruised past the Clippers, beating them 126-94 while shooting 51% from the floor. Kristaps Porzingis also notably made his return to the lineup, posting 16 points and 6 rebounds in a good opening game. While his presence is definitely welcome, Porzingis absolutely won’t see the boost in minutes most starters will during the NBA Cup.

They are going to be extremely cautious with his workload, and I think we can get some solid pricing on some of the other stars because of it. Porzingis will be involved and efficient in his action, but with a team looking to win a championship, his minutes are definitely going to be limited.

All that to say, I think Jayson Tatum is once again a fantastic matchup. Without reading any further, a quick glance at the roster would tell you the Bulls are in deep trouble finding someone to match up with the versatile forward. Patrick Williams would be your guy, but he’s already been ruled out with injury. 6’7 Dalen Terry, who has been getting phased out of the rotation may get a chance, or the also undersized 6’6 Torrey Craig. Either way, its going to be a disaster, and I’m willing to back any talented forward against this team, especially and MVP contender like Jayson Tatum.

He’s averaging 28.8 points on the season, but he steps it up on the road averaging 30.1. With an increased workload for the NBA cup expecting high volume for the superstar.

While Zach Lavine is coming off one of the hardest matchups in the league, I think this is a perfect opportunity to bounce back. Despite the odds, Lavine has had a lot of success on this number, posting 4+ 3PM in 4 of his last 6 games. On the season he’s over this number in 9 of 17 games, shooting 43.4% from three. These are fantastic numbers for a high-volume shooter, and we are getting a great price to take advantage of here.

Lavine has also had a lot of success in these NBA Cup games:

4-8 vs WSH in 31 minutes
4-8 vs ATL in 34 minutes
0-3 vs CLE in 37 minutes

His only miss came against Clevland, where he struggled overall shooting 4-16 from the field. They also beat Washington fairly easily resulting in him not needing to play the end of the game, meaning we should be in store for between 34-37 minutes despite the rest of the roster’s health. The Celtics should be playing more drop defense with Porzingis back, allowing additional three-point attempts.

Lavine has always had success against the Celtics posting 3+ 3PM in 9 of 13 games where he played at least 30+ minutes. When Lavine struggles on offense so do the Bulls, if they have any shot of winning this game he needs to be involved, and profiles as one of my favorite longshot candidates on the slate.