Bulls vs. Pelicans Prediction, Odds, Key Players to Watch for NBA Opening Night

Betting odds, pick and prediction for the Chicago Bulls-New Orleans Pelicans matchup on Wednesday night.

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Both the Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Pelicans have very new looks in the 2024-25 season.

For Chicago, DeMar DeRozan is gone, Lonzo Ball is back from injury and Zach LaVine is healthy and still getting paid a ton of money for a borderline play-in team.

Plus, the team traded Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey — who may now be the future alongside Coby White on offense. 

In New Orleans, Jonas Valanciunas, Dyson Daniels, and Larry Nance Jr. are out while Dejounte Murray is in and Brandon Ingram is in a contract year and doesn’t appear to have an extension coming his way.

New Orleans may operate without a true center — at least to start the season — an interesting decision for a team with playoff expectations.

The Bulls aren’t expected to compete for a playoff spot, but can they surprise with this new-look roster?

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, key players to watch, and my prediction for Wednesday’s season opener. 

Bulls vs. Pelicans Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Bulls +6.5 (-108)
• Pelicans -6.5 (-112)

Moneyline

• Bulls: +220
• Pelicans: -270

Total

• 225.5 (Over -112/Under -108)

Bulls vs. Pelicans How to Watch

• Date: Wednesday, Oct. 23
• Time: 8:00 p.m. EST 
• Venue: Smoothie King Center
• How to Watch (TV): Gulf Coast Sports and CHSN
• Bulls record: 0-0
• Pelicans record: 0-0

Bulls vs. Pelicans Injury Reports

Bulls Injury Report

• Dalen Terry – available
• Lonzo Ball – available

Pelicans Injury Report

• Trey Murphy III – out 
• Zion Williamson – questionable
• Dejounte Murray – questionable
• Jose Alvarado – questionable

Bulls vs. Pelicans Key Players to Watch

Chicago Bulls 

Josh Giddey: The Bulls made a major bet on Giddey – trading for him in a contract year and giving up Alex Caruso. Giddey is a solid playmaker, but can he lead a team? After getting benched in the playoffs in OKC last season, Giddey has a lot to prove in the 2024-25 season. 

New Orleans Pelicans

Dejounte Murray: The Pelicans made a major investment in Murray by trading for him this offseason, but can he pay it off? After failing to make a playoff run in Atlanta alongside Trae Young, Murray will be one of the orchestrators of an interesting offensive attack that features him, Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum.

Bulls vs. Pelicans Prediction and Pick

I think this game could be a high-scoring affair, especially with the makeup of these squads.

New Orleans is punting interior defense by playing Zion Williams and Herb Jones as its de-facto centers, and that should help teams attack the rim all season long.

On the other side, it sets up the Pels to have arguably the most dynamic offensive attack in the NBA. 

That’s a recipe for high-scoring games.

The Bulls let their best defender in Caruso go this offseason, and they already weren’t an elite defensive unit last season. 

This total isn’t one of the higher ones on the board, but this game features plenty of elite scorers — Murray, Zion, Ingram, LaVine, White and CJ McCollum.

Let’s root for points in the debut matchup for these two new-look rosters. 

Pick: OVER 225.5 (-112)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.