Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 PM ET / 7:30 PM CDT
Venue: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX (Mavericks home game)
TV/Radio: CHSN (Chicago), KFAA / MavsTV (Dallas); NBA League Pass and local radio available.
This meaningless regular-season finale in the 2025-26 NBA campaign matches two lottery-bound teams with nothing left to play for. The Chicago Bulls have been eliminated from playoff contention and sit 12th in the Eastern Conference, while the Dallas Mavericks are 13th in the Western Conference and among the league’s worst teams all season. Both squads are heavily depleted by injuries and will likely use the game to evaluate young talent and give minutes to fringe rotation players.
Team Records & Standings Context
Chicago Bulls: 31-50 overall (12th in the Eastern Conference, 13-27 on the road). They rank near the bottom in net rating and have struggled with consistency, especially away from home.
Dallas Mavericks: 25-56 overall (13th in the Western Conference, 15-25 at home). They average just 113.7 PPG while allowing 119.5 PPG, posting one of the league’s worst net ratings.
Dallas holds a slight home advantage, but the talent and motivation gap is minimal given both teams’ situations.
Recent Team Forms (Last 5–10 Games)
Bulls: 4-6 in their last 10 games (2-3 in the past five). They are on a L1 streak after a 103-127 home loss to Orlando on April 10 but picked up back-to-back wins over Washington (April 7-9). Chicago has been competitive in spots but continues to falter against better teams.
Mavericks: 2-8 in their last 10 games (1-4 in the past five). They have dropped four of their last five, including recent road losses, and have shown poor defensive effort and rebounding in blowout defeats.
Both teams enter with poor momentum, making this a sloppy, low-stakes contest.
Injury Report
Chicago Bulls (extremely thin roster):
Out: Anfernee Simons (wrist), Josh Giddey (hamstring), Guerschon Yabusele (shoulder), Jalen Smith (calf), Noa Essengue (shoulder), Zach Collins (toe), Isaac Okoro (quad).
Questionable/GTD: Matas Buzelis (ankle).
The Bulls will rely heavily on rookies, G League call-ups, and fringe players like Tre Jones, Collin Sexton, and Leonard Miller in a makeshift lineup.
Dallas Mavericks (heavily depleted):
Out: Dereck Lively II (foot – season), Kyrie Irving (knee – season), P.J. Washington (elbow), Daniel Gafford (rest), Caleb Martin (foot), Brandon Williams (illness).
Day-to-Day/GTD: Marvin Bagley III (shoulder), Klay Thompson (illness), Naji Marshall (hip).
Dallas is missing key veterans and will lean on young pieces and depth for the finale.
Both sides are playing without core contributors, leveling the playing field somewhat.
Key Player Matchups
Coby White / Bulls guards vs. Dallas backcourt (young pieces if active): White has been Chicago’s most reliable scorer; Dallas’s depleted perimeter should give him opportunities to create.
Matas Buzelis / Bulls frontcourt (if active) vs. Mavericks bigs (Bagley III if active): Buzelis provides scoring punch but faces a thin Dallas frontcourt missing Lively and Gafford. Rebounding could be a wash or slight edge to Chicago’s youth.
Bench depth and pace: With heavy absences on both sides, expect up-tempo play and heavy reliance on rookies and role players. Turnovers and inefficient shooting are likely.
Neither team holds a clear edge; the game will come down to which makeshift lineup executes better.
Series History (2025-26 Season)
The teams have split their season series 1-1 (with one prior meeting noted):
Jan. 10, 2026: Chicago 125-107 (at Chicago)
Chicago snapped a recent trend of Dallas dominance in the head-to-head. Games have been competitive when both are healthy, but the current injury situations make historical trends less relevant.
Betting Trends
Mavericks are 2-3 ATS in last 5 but strong as home favorites in meaningless games.
Bulls are 3-7 ATS in last 10 and poor as road underdogs.
Over/Under: Both teams’ recent games have trended Over due to pace and defensive lapses; season series games averaged high totals.
Game Odds
Chicago Bulls 245.5
Dallas Mavericks – 6.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Saturday, April 11, 2026
