Chicago Bulls 2025-26 Season Preview, Betting Odds

The next era of Chicago Bulls basketball will soon be upon us after the trio of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Nikola Vucevic peaked as the catalysts of a .500 team with no postseason success to show for their efforts. With DeRozan and LaVine now in Sacramento, along with Vucevic being on the final year of his contract, the front office appears ready to hand the keys over to the likes of Josh Giddey, Coby White, and Matas Buzelis to hopefully spark a resurgence in the Windy City.

This 2025-26 season preview will analyze all betting odds for the Bulls as they undergo a transition period and slowly expand their goals beyond simply being a threat to qualify for the play-in tournament.

(Betting odds will be updated up until the start of the regular season. Be sure to check in regularly for any changes to numbers and picks)

Chicago Bulls 2025 NBA Draft

Selected Noa Essengue (France) No. 12 overall
Selected Lachlan Olbrich (Australia) No. 55 overall

Chicago bulls 2025 Re-Signings

Tre Jones agrees to three-year, $24-million contract
Josh Giddey agrees to four-year, $100-million contract

Chicago Bulls 2025 Additions

Isaac Okoro acquired via trade with Cleveland Cavaliers

Chicago Bulls 2025 Departures

Lonzo Ball traded to Cleveland Cavaliers

Chicago Bulls 2026 NBA Championship, Eastern Conference, Central Division Betting Odds

Team	NBA Finals Odds	Eastern Conference Odds	Central Division Odds
Chicago Bulls	+75000	+12500	+10000

Best Bet: N/A

The Bulls have swam in a pool of mediocrity for far too long, as they haven't been good enough to be a force in the Eastern Conference while also not being bad enough to bottom out entirely. That's the worst possible place to be, and Chicago finally appears ready to escape that vortex and carve out a new direction with fresh faces in grander roles. The team went 118-128 over the last three seasons and has just a single playoff victory to its name since 2018, so while the aforementioned new core may not be ideal combination to springboard the Bulls back into contention, they at least deserve an opportunity to prove themselves. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, and it appears those with the power to institute change have finally caught on to that.

Per NBA.com's John Schuhmann, Chicago had the greatest leap of any team from 2023-24 to 2024-25 in both pace (28th to second) and 3-point rate (29th to fifth). It didn't amount to much growth in the win-loss column, though, but that's the style of play more befitting of a young, energetic group. The Bulls ranked 23rd overall in net rating with LaVine still on the roster ahead of the trade deadline, and that number improved to 10th after coming back from the All-Star break for the largest jump in 20 years. That came with White and Giddey each averaging better than 21 points per contest, along with Buzelis putting together his best stretch of his rookie campaign resulting in a spot on the All-Rookie Second team.

Chicago got glowing praise and quality grades for selecting Frenchman Noa Essengue with the No. 12 pick, providing head coach Billy Donovan another long combo forward with size who works well in transition, albeit one who's only 18 and still very raw. His development will take some time, but it's mouth-watering to imagine the impact Essengue could have on the fast break with Buzelis by his side feeding off dimes from the new $100-million man in Giddey, who's only 22 years of age himself. Coby White may not be in the grander picture if he elects to move on in unrestricted free agency next summer for more money, but he's still a Bull for the time being and will likely be the team's leading scorer once again. Chicago should at least be fun to watch with a more aesthetically-pleasing brand of offense, making the climb to .500 more digestible from afar.

Chicago Bulls 2025-26 NBA Win Total, Make Playoffs Odds

Team	Win Total	OVER	UNDER	Odds To Make Playoffs
Chicago Bulls	33.5	+104	-128	+320

Best Bet: OVER 33.5 wins, +104

A 20-game stretch in which Chicago went 15-5 to close out last season wasn't enough to convince oddsmakers that it was anything more than a flash in the pan. Only four other teams (Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Milwaukee Bucks) had better records than the Bulls during the unofficial second half of the campaign, and if you were to stretch out their 17-10 mark across a full 82-game slate, that would equate to a 51-win season.

Now no one in their right mind envisions Chicago coming anywhere close to that number, but getting OVER 33.5 victories for a team that's been as consistently mid as its been shouldn't be difficult to do.

Claim Offer

Featured Offer

Bet $5 Get $200 + 3 months NBA Pass

Claim Offer

Terms and Conditions

GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY).

Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD).

21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY). Void in ONT/OR/NH. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS). Fees may apply in IL. 1 per new customer. Must register new account to receive reward Token. Must select Token BEFORE placing min. $5 bet to receive $200 in Bonus Bets if your bet wins. Min. -500 odds req. Token and Bonus Bets are single-use and non-withdrawable. Token expires 10/19/25. Bonus Bets expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: sportsbook.draftkings.com/promos. Ends 10/12/25 at 11:59 PM ET. Sponsored by DK.

Chicago Bulls 2025-26 NBA Awards Odds

Name	Rookie	Most Improved	Clutch	Coach
Noa Essengue	+25000
Matas Buzelis		+1600
Josh Giddey		+3000
Coby White		+6000	+10000
Billy Donovan				+10000

Best Bet: Matas Buzelis for NBA Most Improved Player, +1600

The idea of giving Most Improved Player to someone in their second year as a professional is one that no one should be accepting of, and thankfully, it's one that hasn't resulted in a winner since Monta Ellis in 2007. There's supposed to be considerable improvement made by rookies after they dip their toes in the Association and feel the grind of a full season, so that mindset by voters will work against Buzelis barring him exploding off the charts and being undeniable. He averaged 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and an assist in 80 total appearances, finishing tied for seventh in Rookie of the Year voting, so the bar is relatively low as far as the numbers Buzelis needs to build off of in this race.

The 20-year-old forward's production grew to 13 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 31 games as a starter on a true shooting percentage of 58.6 percent. All 31 starts came in succession from Feb. 5 onward, and Buzelis is likely to remain the starting power forward next to Vucevic in the frontcourt with Patrick Williams backing him up. His 31-point outburst in a blowout win over the Los Angeles Lakers on March 22 in which Buzelis connected on 12-of-18 from the field was demonstrative of the absurd upside he has, so Chicago would be wise to nourish that potential as much as possible and continue providing him the tools and minutes to blossom even further.