Chicago Bulls vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction & Match Preview - December 8th, 2021 | NBA Season 2021-22

The depleted Chicago Bulls will look to extend their four-game winning streak when they visit the young Cleveland Cavaliers. [Photo: WAVY.com]

The Chicago Bulls will meet the emerging Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio.

Chicago continued to roll with the punches with a victory over the Denver Nuggets despite missing DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso, Javonte Green and Coby White. The Bulls overcame the absence of their leading scorer, thanks to Zach LaVine's impressive performance and the rest of the roster’s timely contributions.

Without a few of their best players, the Chicago Bulls will lean on their defense and resilience to extend their four-game winning streak against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Lonzo & LaVine power the @chicagobulls to 4 in a row!

@ZachLaVine: 32 PTS, 8 AST
@ZO2_: 20 PTS, 10 REB, 4 BLK https://t.co/cGuZmK8Etq

Meanwhile, head coach JB Bickerstaff’s team has lost back-to-back games to the Utah Jazz and defending champions Milwaukee Bucks. Despite the loss, there are some positives to be gleaned after many years of disappointments following LeBron James’ move to Hollywood.

The Cleveland Cavaliers stood toe-to-toe against the Big 3 of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday before bowing out. Hope and optimism abound with the talent, poise and determination of the Cavs’ young core led by rookie sensation Evan Mobley and third-year guard Darius Garland.

Match Detail

Fixture: Chicago Bulls vs Cleveland Cavaliers | 2021-22 NBA season.

Date & Time: Wednesday, December 8th; 7:00 PM ET (Thursday, December 9th; 5:30 AM IST).

Venue: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH.

Chicago Bulls Preview

Zach LaVine will carry more of the scoring burden for the Chicago Bulls without DeMar DeRozan against the Cleveland Cavaliers. [Photo: NBA.com]

The Chicago Bulls found out late heading into the game against the Nuggets that leading scorer DeMar DeRozan has been placed under the NBA’s health and safety protocols. He joined Javonte Green and Coby White under virus protocols in just a span of days. Their absence adds to their woes after Alex Caruso was sidelined after starting the Brooklyn Nets game with a tight hamstring.

Billy Donovan’s team has been resilient all season, and it showed yet again against the similarly undermanned Nuggets. Nevertheless, all five Chicago Bulls starters scored in double figures, including rookie Ayo Dosunmu, who was thrust into the starting lineup after a spate of injuries. The Chicago native had a team-high 42 minutes, and was all over the court in the win.

Meanwhile, Lonzo Ball’s addition is starting to bear fruit for the Chicago Bulls. With or without Chicago’s leading scorers, he just manages to influence the game in so many ways. Aside from scoring 20 points, he was tied for a team-high ten rebounds and a game-high four blocks. Losing a second-round pick to bring him to Chicago has certainly been worth the trouble.

Key Player - Zach LaVine

Zach LaVine has been the Chicago Bulls’ best player for the past few seasons. His hunger to win has allowed him to share the spotlight with former All-Stars DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic. LaVine’s unselfishness and ability to adapt have made the Bulls a fearsome team, especially when they are healthy.

Zach LaVine tonight:

32 Points
8 Assists
3 Rebounds
56% FG

🔥 https://t.co/y86DQKesOi

The Olympic gold medalist is averaging 25.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and four assists per contest. He has managed to maintain his production, together with DeRozan, comprising one of the NBA’s best 1-2 punches. With DDR out for at least ten days, expect LaVine to increase his scoring output for the Chicago Bulls.

Chicago Bulls Predicted Lineup

G - Lonzo Ball | G - Zach LaVine | F - Ayo Dosunmu | F - Derrick Jones Jr. | C - Nikola Vucevic.

Cleveland Cavaliers Preview

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ young core is already starting to tap into their enormous potential. [Photo: Factory of Sadness]

Following a razor-thin loss to the Utah Jazz, the Cleveland Cavaliers battled the Milwaukee Bucks on the second night of a back-to-back. The young Cavs showed resilience by fighting back from double-digit deficits against the defending champions. However, they just didn’t have enough energy or poise to pull the rug under Milwaukee.

There are no moral victories in the NBA, but considering how teams often sacrifice an entire season for development, the Cleveland Cavaliers are doing great. The Cavaliers are ranked fourth in defensive rating, which is by no means an accident. They have bigs who are mobile and willing defenders. Jarrett Allen tries to protect the rim with his life, and relishes contact against dunkers.

The scariest part of the Cavs resurgence thus far is how much better they can still be.

Jarrett Allen is 23.
Darius Garland is 21.
Evan Mobley is 20.

A new era of greatness is dawning. https://t.co/kZ03SNGeTE

Darius Garland and Ricky Rubio have been impressive in the backcourt. It took Garland a while to get going, but he has really played well as the season has progressed. Rubio, meanwhile, has been the steadying hand of this young team, with occasional scoring outbursts.

Key Player - Evan Mobley

It’s almost unheard of to see a rookie become a team’s central figure at both ends of the floor. Newcomer Evan Mobley does this for the Cleveland Cavaliers and more.

His defense alone has drawn raves across the league. He leads the NBA in contested shots per game over three-time and current Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.

Last night, @evanmobley recorded 14 PTS, 12 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL and 1 BLK.

It was his 6th double-double of the season, the most of all rookies.

#MobleyMonday x #LetEmKnow https://t.co/NL2KltjLJu

Mobley’s skills, IQ and reading of the game also translate to the offensive end. He is already averaging 14 points on 46.5% FG and 33.3% three-point shooting. The Cleveland Cavaliers are starting to cause trouble, with the 20-year old rookie as a short roller. It becomes terrifying for opponents when the game slows down for him.

Cleveland Cavaliers Predicted Lineup

G - Darius Garland | G - Isaac Okoro | F - Lauri Markkanen | F - Evan Mobley | C - Jarrett Allen.

Bulls vs Cavaliers Match Prediction

What a difference a quarter into the season makes. Had this game been played earlier in the campaign, the Chicago Bulls would have been the favorites, even with their plethora of injuries.

However, the Cleveland Cavaliers have come into their own, and will have a healthier roster than Chicago for this game. They have also had enough rest, so fatigue won’t be a factor for them. Cleveland should have enough to get past the depleted Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.

Where to watch the Cavaliers vs Bulls game?

The NBA League Pass will stream the game live. Local coverage of the matchup between the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers is available via Bally Sports Ohio and NBC Sports Chicago.