Philadelphia 76ers vs Chicago Bulls Picks and Prediction for Sunday November 8 2026

Philadelphia heads to Chicago on Sunday afternoon for a 3:30 PM ET game against the Bulls at United Center. Peacock has the national stream. The 76ers are coming off a pretty ugly loss to Cleveland, but Chicago hasn’t been able to stop anybody. That’s the big thing here. Philadelphia doesn’t need to play perfect basketball to win this game. It just needs to get back to doing what worked during its excellent start.

Philadelphia 76ers Need to Put Friday Behind Them

Philadelphia is 8-2 overall and 4-1 on the road after losing 119-95 to Cleveland on Friday. That wasn’t a particularly competitive game, and the 76ers have some things to clean up. Still, one bad night doesn’t erase eight wins. Philadelphia had beaten Detroit 112-106 earlier in the week, and the team has generally been much more dependable than what we saw against the Cavaliers.

The 76ers are averaging 109.4 points and allowing 106.6. That defensive average is among the best in the league. Philadelphia hasn’t been relying on winning shootouts. It has been making opponents work for baskets and doing enough offensively to finish games. Against Chicago, the offense should find considerably more room than it had against Cleveland.

Dominick Barlow is listed out, which takes away a frontcourt option. Philadelphia needs its available rotation to handle Chicago’s rebounding and avoid getting careless with the ball. But this is a matchup where the 76ers should be able to attack the paint and create decent looks. Chicago has been giving up far too many easy baskets.

Chicago Bulls Have a Serious Defensive Problem

Chicago is 1-7 overall and 0-2 at home. The Bulls were beaten 135-105 by New York on Wednesday, and that pretty much sums up their season so far. They can score a little, but they’re allowing opponents to get comfortable far too quickly. Once a good team starts making shots, Chicago hasn’t been able to do much about it.

The Bulls are scoring 111.6 points per game and allowing 129.6. That’s an 18-point difference. You aren’t winning many games with numbers like that. Philadelphia’s offense hasn’t been spectacular, but the 76ers have been considerably better defensively. Chicago needs to find a way to keep Philadelphia from getting easy looks, and nothing about its recent performances suggests that’s suddenly going to happen.

Nic Claxton is listed out, which creates another problem with interior depth. Chicago needs better rebounding, better defensive rotations, and fewer empty possessions. That’s quite a shopping list. The Bulls have home court, but that doesn’t mean much if they’re giving up 125 or 130 points again.

Philadelphia 76ers vs Chicago Bulls Picks and Prediction

Moneyline Pick: Philadelphia 76ers

I’m taking Philadelphia. The 76ers looked awful against Cleveland, and that could make somebody nervous. But Chicago is allowing almost 130 points a night. That’s a much bigger problem than one bad Philadelphia performance. The 76ers are defending well, they’re 4-1 on the road, and they should get plenty of scoring opportunities. Chicago could make this interesting if it shoots well early. I just don’t trust the Bulls to get enough stops.

Total Pick: Over 220.5 Points

Give me the over 220.5 if that’s available. Chicago’s defense is the reason. The Bulls are giving up 129.6 points per game, and Philadelphia should have opportunities to score much more than its season average. Chicago can contribute 105 or 110 itself. The concern is Philadelphia controlling the game defensively and holding the Bulls below 100. That’s possible. But I think the 76ers get enough offense to push this over.

Final Picks: Philadelphia 76ers Moneyline | Over 220.5 Points (if available)