Bulls Limp Into Denver Shorthanded as Preseason Grind Hits Altitude

The Bulls roll into Ball Arena on Friday night looking more like a MASH unit than a legitimate NBA roster. Nic Claxton's hamstring will keep him sidelined for two weeks, Matas Buzelis is nursing an ankle, and three other rotation pieces are game-time decisions. That's a lot of missing firepower for a preseason tilt where nobody's trying to be a hero anyway.

Denver's got the altitude advantage and a deeper healthy rotation, but don't expect Nikola Jokic or Jamal Murray to log anything resembling competitive minutes. This is October basketball—coaches are experimenting with lineups, stars are capping out around 20 minutes, and the fourth quarter becomes a showcase for guys who'll be in the G-League by Thanksgiving. The Bulls' injury mess only amplifies the chaos, forcing Chicago to dig even deeper into camp bodies who couldn't score in a rec league.

DarkHorse is backing the under 232.5, and it's hard to argue. Preseason games are notoriously sloppy, low-effort affairs where defensive rotations are confused and offensive sets look like pickup ball. Add in Chicago's decimated depth chart and you've got a recipe for extended stretches of ugly basketball. Expect plenty of clanked threes and empty possessions once the benches clear.