One game into the regular season and the statistical chasm between these two is already wide enough to fly a team plane through. The Washington Wizards roll into the United Center at 8:00 PM EDT sitting at 1-0 after dropping a casual 128.0 points in their opener on a blazing 52 percent shooting from the floor. Anthony Davis played like a man fully aware of his absurd usage rate, racking up 34.0 points and 12.0 rebounds while Trae Young handed out 13.0 assists like party favors. Meanwhile, the 0-1 Chicago Bulls looked completely stuck in third gear during their debut, scraping together a miserable 86.0 points on 32 percent shooting while surrendering 135.0 on the other end.
If Chicago wants to defend its home floor in its first 0-0 Home appearance of the year, someone besides Norman Powell—who led the team with a modest 15.0 points—needs to put real pressure on the rim. The Bulls can take a sliver of comfort in Washington's own defensive generosity (116.0 points allowed) and the Wizards' bruised depth, with AJ Dybantsa sidelined by a sprain and Felix Okpara tagged as a game-time decision, alongside Nic Claxton being out for Chicago. But unless Josh Giddey elevates the offense past his initial 6.0-assist baseline, this math problem gets ugly fast for the locals. Lock in your pick for this matchup and jump into the banter right now on StreakChat.