Preview: Chicago Bulls vs. Boston Celtics: Player props, injury report and prediction | NBA

The Boston Celtics host the Chicago Bulls at TD Garden on Monday night, with Jayson Tatum fresh from a 36-point win over the Knicks and Chicago rookie Caleb Wilson coming off a 30-point, 14-rebound night against Washington.

Boston won last season's series 2-1, and the NBA schedule sends these two straight back to the same arena on Friday, which raises the stakes for Chicago's first look at a Celtics side rebuilt around Paul George.

What is the form like for the Bulls and Celtics heading into Monday?

Form Guide

Chicago Bulls

1-2 · 10th in the East

Last 5 (2025-26 finale and 2026-27 so far)

L L L W L

114.7PPG

128.0Opp PPG

106.5Off. rating

118.9Def. rating

Boston Celtics

1-1 · 7th in the East

Last 5 (2025-26 play-offs and 2026-27 so far)

L L L L W

110.0PPG

112.0Opp PPG

115.7Off. rating

117.8Def. rating

Boston sit seventh in the conference standings at 1-1, a loss at Detroit on opening night followed by a 107-103 win over the New York Knicks, who started the defence of their title winless.

Tatum has driven that recovery, bouncing back from 13 points on 6-of-23 shooting in Detroit to take the Knicks game over late.

Boston have still lost four of their last five competitive games, the first three of those being the final games of a first-round series against Philadelphia that they led 3-1.

Chicago are 10th at 1-2, and their three games have told three different stories, a 43-point beating at Toronto, a 132-125 win at Milwaukee and a home defeat to Washington.

Wilson, the No. 4 pick in the draft, has led the team in scoring, but his big night against the Wizards was undone by a third quarter that the Bulls lost 40-20.

The comparison above is lopsided in Boston's favour on efficiency, since the Celtics shoot better, protect the ball far more carefully and make about seven more threes a game than Chicago.

Chicago's route back into the game is tempo, as the Bulls play at 108.8 possessions a game against Boston's 96.5 and win the rebounding battle by a wide margin.

Points allowed show the widest gap between the sides, with all three of Chicago's opponents so far scoring at least 124 points against them.

George has scored 26.5 points a game for Boston, including 38 on his debut at Detroit, which gives Tatum room to pick his moments rather than carry the whole offence.

The samples are tiny at three games for the Bulls and two for the Celtics, but the shooting and turnover gap suits a Boston side that won its only home game of the season.

Bulls vs. Celtics team news and rotations

Chicago are without centre Nic Claxton, who is out with a hamstring injury, and Patrick Williams and Noa Essengue both missed Saturday's defeat by Washington, so their Monday availability is not yet clear.

The projected Bulls starting five is Josh Giddey, Norman Powell, Matas Buzelis, Wilson and Jalen Smith, with Smith moving in at centre after averaging 8.0 rebounds a game so far.

Boston are close to full strength, with guard Devin Carter the only player listed out because of illness.

Chicago head coach Tiago Splitter has shown a willingness to bench players who drop their standards, so the rotation behind Wilson and Giddey could change again from the Washington game.

The probable Celtics five is Derrick White, George, Tatum, Jordan Walsh and Mitchell Robinson, the group that started both games, while Payton Pritchard and Neemias Queta are the main alternatives.

Chicago have a day of rest behind them after playing three games in four nights, but Boston host Brooklyn on Tuesday, so this is the first half of a back-to-back for the Celtics.

Bulls vs. Celtics and the matchups that could decide it

Key Matchups

Rookie scorer against veteran leader

Caleb Wilson

CHI

VS

Paul George

BOS

22.3Wilson PPG

26.5George PPG

8.0Wilson RPG

6.0George RPG

Wilson is a rookie and George a veteran, and each is his team's leading scorer, so the quality of the shots they create and the ones they allow will shape the game.

Playmaker against two-way guard

Josh Giddey

CHI

VS

Derrick White

BOS

8.3Giddey APG

7.0White APG

5.7Giddey PPG

14.5White PPG

Giddey sets the Bulls' tempo as a passer without scoring much, while White creates for others and also gives Boston a scoring threat from the perimeter.

Wilson has been Chicago's most reliable source of production, and Boston can test him with different bodies in Tatum, George, Walsh and Robinson.

The guard matchup may decide how fast the game is played, since Giddey wants the ball moving early in the clock and White's passing and defensive work help Boston slow it down.

Which player props stand out in Bulls vs. Celtics?

Player Props to Watch

Caleb WilsonCHI

PointsOver 17.5

22.32026-27 PPG (3 GP)

Wilson carries the scoring load for a Bulls side missing Claxton, and he has played heavy minutes from the start.

Paul GeorgeBOS

PointsOver 22.5

26.52026-27 PPG (2 GP)

George has scored heavily in both Celtics games, including 38 points on his debut, against a defence that has conceded freely.

Jayson TatumBOS

AssistsOver 7.5

9.02026-27 APG (2 GP)

Tatum is the main creator now that Jaylen Brown has left, and his passing has been a feature of both games so far.

Bulls and Celtics head-to-head record and the Friday rematch

Boston took last season's series 2-1, winning by 14 and 19 points at TD Garden and losing only a 114-111 game in Chicago on 24 January.

The Celtics have won eight of the last 10 meetings, although both rosters have changed a great deal since, with Jaylen Brown now in Philadelphia and Coby White gone from the Bulls.

Chicago return to TD Garden on Friday and a third meeting is listed for 30 December, so Monday is the first of what could be a short, sharp three-game run.

Bulls vs. Celtics tips and prediction

Boston should win at home, as they shoot better, turn it over less and have more creators than a Bulls side leaning on a rookie and a thin frontcourt.

Chicago's pace and rebounding give them a way into the game, and Boston have lost four of their last five, but the Celtics have beaten the Bulls eight times in the last 10 meetings and the under looks the better total position.

Chicago will hope Wilson keeps rising, although a lapse like the 40-20 third quarter against Washington is exactly the kind Boston can punish on a night when the Celtics are shooting well.