The Chicago Bulls and the Portland Trail Blazers are set to battle it out tonight at the Moda Center in Portland. Both teams are looking to break out of their respective losing streaks — the Bulls have lost their last four games, while the Trail Blazers have dropped their last five.

Team Forms The Bulls haven’t had much luck on their recent homestand, dropping four consecutive games after winning the opener. In their last game, Nikola Vucevic scored a season-best 40 points, but Chicago fell just short, losing 125-123 to the Charlotte Hornets. Vucevic’s stellar effort unfortunately couldn’t prevent the loss as his go-ahead 3-point attempt with 5.7 seconds left failed to find the mark.
On the other hand, Portland has been in a rough patch as well, with four of their five losses coming at home and losing by an average of 22.5 points. The latest was a 125-103 defeat to the Houston Rockets. The Trail Blazers have been struggling with rebounding, especially with key players like Deandre Ayton, Deni Avdija, and Donovan Clingan sidelined.
Injuries and Player News The Bulls might be missing key player Lonzo Ball who is questionable with a quadriceps injury, while Zach LaVine, still recovering from a knee injury, is expected to play. The Trail Blazers, meanwhile, welcomed back Jerami Grant after a nine-game absence due to a facial contusion, but they are likely to rest Robert Williams III due to knee issues.
Key Players Nikola Vucevic has been consistently impressive for the Bulls. He’s averaging 20.6 points and 10.4 rebounds and shooting a career-best 56.1% from the field. In addition, the Bulls will rely on the likes of Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan to get back on the winning track.
For the Trail Blazers, Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe have been reliable scorers, averaging 18.2 points each. Jerami Grant’s return could boost them, but they will need solid performances from their role players and improvements in rebounding to compete.
Game Outlook The Bulls have won their last five meetings against the Trail Blazers, but given both teams’ current forms, it’s shaping up to be a close contest.