The Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers square off in an intriguing matchup of teams coming off wins. Will the Bulls stun LA (or at least cover)? Or, will the Lakers extend their winning streak to four games?

Catch this game live on Friday, March 13, 2026, at 10:30 AM, Manila time

Away: Chicago Bulls (27-38, 11-20 Away)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Josh Giddey (Probable)
  • Tre Jones
  • Isaac Okoro (Questionable)
  • Matas Buzelis (Probable)
  • Jalen Smith (Probable)

After suffering a 126-110 loss to arguably the worst team in the league today in the form of the Sacramento Kings, the Chicago Bulls responded with a 130-124 overtime win against the Golden State Warriors on the road on Wednesday. They now continue their West Coast road trip with a rematch versus the Lakers.

However, the Bulls could be sitting out a few key players, with the likes of Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis and Jalen Smith all carrying either questionable or probable designations at the time of this writing. 

They all looked fine against the Warriors, though, so there’s a reason to feel optimistic about their availability for the Lakers game. Buzelis went off for 41 points against the Dubs, while Giddey had a triple-double of 21 points, 17 assists and 13 rebounds. Smith drained clutch free throws to send the game to overtime before finishing with 12 points and 12 boards.

Home: Los Angeles Lakers (40-25, 21-12 Home)

Projected Starting Five:

  • Luka Doncic
  • Austin Reaves
  • Marcus Smart (Doubtful)
  • LeBron James (Questionable)
  • Deandre Ayton

The Lakers picked up their third win in a row on Wednesday despite missing LeBron James, as Los Angeles crushed the Minnesota Timberwolves at home, 120-106. Before that, they took down the New York Knicks, 110-97. James is still uncertain to play this Friday, as well as Marcus Smart, who had eight points in the T’wolves game. 

In any case, they have Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to excite Lakers fans. They each scored 31 points against Minnesota, while Deandre Ayton provided 14 points and 12 boards. 

Seeing Doncic again could bring up some trauma for the Bulls, who he torched for 46 points in the first meeting, with the Lakers shooting 56% from the floor. Even without James, the Lakers can have that kind of night again against the Bulls, who are just 21st in the league with a 116.6 defensive rating. Conversely, the Lakers own a 117.6 offensive rating and a 57.0 eFG% – second-best in the league. They have also shot 48.5 FG% in their last 10 games. 

Picks

Spread: Chicago Bulls  (+11.0)

Over/Under: Over (235.5)