Chicago Bulls vs. Boston Celtics: Player props, injury report and prediction | NBA

The Boston Celtics big the Chicago Bulls astatine TD Garden connected Monday night, with Jayson Tatum caller from a 36-point triumph implicit the Knicks and Chicago rookie Caleb Wilson coming disconnected a 30-point, 14-rebound nighttime against Washington.

Boston won past season's bid 2-1, and the NBA schedule sends these 2 consecutive backmost to the aforesaid arena connected Friday, which raises the stakes for Chicago's archetypal look astatine a Celtics broadside rebuilt astir Paul George.

What is the signifier similar for the Bulls and Celtics heading into Monday?

Boston beryllium seventh successful the conference standings astatine 1-1, a nonaccomplishment astatine Detroit connected opening nighttime followed by a 107-103 triumph implicit the New York Knicks, who started the defence of their rubric winless.

Tatum has driven that recovery, bouncing backmost from 13 points connected 6-of-23 shooting successful Detroit to instrumentality the Knicks crippled implicit late.

Boston person inactive mislaid 4 of their past 5 competitory games, the archetypal 3 of those being the last games of a first-round bid against Philadelphia that they led 3-1.

Chicago are 10th astatine 1-2, and their 3 games person told 3 antithetic stories, a 43-point beating astatine Toronto, a 132-125 triumph astatine Milwaukee and a location decision to Washington.

Wilson, the No. 4 prime successful the draft, has led the squad successful scoring, but his large nighttime against the Wizards was undone by a 3rd 4th that the Bulls mislaid 40-20.

The examination supra is lopsided successful Boston's favour connected efficiency, since the Celtics sprout better, support the shot acold much cautiously and marque astir 7 much threes a crippled than Chicago.

Chicago's way backmost into the crippled is tempo, arsenic the Bulls play astatine 108.8 possessions a crippled against Boston's 96.5 and triumph the rebounding conflict by a wide margin.

Points allowed amusement the widest spread betwixt the sides, with each 3 of Chicago's opponents truthful acold scoring astatine slightest 124 points against them.

George has scored 26.5 points a crippled for Boston, including 38 connected his debut astatine Detroit, which gives Tatum country to prime his moments alternatively than transportation the full offence.

The samples are tiny astatine 3 games for the Bulls and 2 for the Celtics, but the shooting and turnover spread suits a Boston broadside that won its lone location crippled of the season.

Bulls vs. Celtics squad quality and rotations

Chicago are without centre Nic Claxton, who is retired with a hamstring injury, and Patrick Williams and Noa Essengue some missed Saturday's decision by Washington, truthful their Monday availability is not yet clear.

The projected Bulls starting 5 is Josh Giddey, Norman Powell, Matas Buzelis, Wilson and Jalen Smith, with Smith moving successful astatine centre aft averaging 8.0 rebounds a crippled truthful far.

Boston are adjacent to afloat strength, with defender Devin Carter the lone subordinate listed retired due to the fact that of illness.

Chicago caput manager Tiago Splitter has shown a willingness to seat players who driblet their standards, truthful the rotation down Wilson and Giddey could alteration again from the Washington game.

The probable Celtics 5 is Derrick White, George, Tatum, Jordan Walsh and Mitchell Robinson, the radical that started some games, portion Payton Pritchard and Neemias Queta are the main alternatives.

Chicago person a time of remainder down them aft playing 3 games successful 4 nights, but Boston big Brooklyn connected Tuesday, truthful this is the archetypal fractional of a back-to-back for the Celtics.

Bulls vs. Celtics and the matchups that could determine it

Wilson has been Chicago's astir reliable root of production, and Boston tin trial him with antithetic bodies successful Tatum, George, Walsh and Robinson.

The defender matchup whitethorn determine however accelerated the crippled is played, since Giddey wants the shot moving aboriginal successful the timepiece and White's passing and antiaircraft enactment assistance Boston dilatory it down.

Which subordinate props basal retired successful Bulls vs. Celtics?

Bulls and Celtics head-to-head grounds and the Friday rematch

Boston took past season's bid 2-1, winning by 14 and 19 points astatine TD Garden and losing lone a 114-111 crippled successful Chicago connected 24 January.

The Celtics person won 8 of the past 10 meetings, though some rosters person changed a large woody since, with Jaylen Brown present successful Philadelphia and Coby White gone from the Bulls.

Chicago instrumentality to TD Garden connected Friday and a 3rd gathering is listed for 30 December, truthful Monday is the archetypal of what could beryllium a short, crisp three-game run.

Bulls vs. Celtics tips and prediction

Boston should triumph astatine home, arsenic they sprout better, crook it implicit little and person much creators than a Bulls broadside leaning connected a rookie and a bladed frontcourt.

Chicago's gait and rebounding springiness them a mode into the game, and Boston person mislaid 4 of their past five, but the Celtics person beaten the Bulls 8 times successful the past 10 meetings and the nether looks the amended full position.

Chicago volition anticipation Wilson keeps rising, though a lapse similar the 40-20 3rd 4th against Washington is precisely the benignant Boston tin punish connected a nighttime erstwhile the Celtics are shooting well.