Cavaliers vs. Bulls Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Wednesday, Dec. 17

The Cavs are road favorites in this Eastern Conference battle.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell is a solid prop target on Wednesday. / David Richard-Imagn Images

Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers are off to a slow start in the 2025-26 season, winning just 15 of their first 27 games to fall into the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference.

To make matters worse, Cleveland is now down Evan Mobley (calf) for the next few weeks. So, there is going to be a ton on Mitchell’s plate as Cleveland attempts to work its way back up the standings in the East.

The injury bug has gotten the Cavs this season, but they still haven’t been as bad as the Chicago Bulls, who have squandered a fast start to the season and are currently in 11th in the East at 10-15. Chicago has dropped eight of its last 10 games, and it’s 0-1 against the Cavs so far this season.

Oddsmakers have set Cleveland as a favorite in this game, but the Cavs have been brutal to bet on this season, especially on the road. Not only are the Cavs a league-worst 8-19 against the spread, but they’re just 4-7 against the number on the road. 

Can they rebound – without Mobley – and pick up a win?

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, my favorite player prop and a prediction for this Eastern Conference matchup. 

Cavaliers vs. Bulls Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Cavs -5.5 (-110)
• Bulls +5.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Cavs: -198
• Bulls: +164

Total

• 242.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Cavaliers vs. Bulls How to Watch

• Date: Wednesday, Dec. 17
• Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: United Center
• How to Watch (TV): FanDuel Sports Network (Local), CHSN
• Cavs record: 15-12
• Bulls record: 10-15

Cavaliers vs. Bulls Injury Reports

Cavs Injury Report

• Chris Livingston – out
• Sam Merrill – out
• Evan Mobley – out
• Max Strus – out
• Larry Nance Jr. – out
• Luke Travers – out

Bulls Injury Report

• Ayo Dosunmu – questionable
• Noa Essengue – out
• Lachlan Olbrich – out
• Trentyn Flowers – out
• Emanuel Miller – out

Cavaliers vs. Bulls Best NBA Prop Bets

Cavs Best NBA Prop Bet

• Donovan Mitchell OVER 3.5 3-Pointers Made (-135)

Earlier today, I shared in my NBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why Mitchell is a great bet to hit a bunch of 3s against Chicago: 

With Evan Mobley (calf) sidelined, Donovan Mitchell is going to have to score even more for Cleveland in the coming weeks.

The star guard is averaging 30.7 points per game this season while shooting 49.4 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from beyond the arc.

I’m eyeing Mitchell’s 3-point prop in this game, as he’s taking 10.6 shots from deep per game, leading the league with 4.0 made 3s per contest. Mitchell has 14 games this season with four or more 3-pointers, including a 5-for-12 showing in his lone game against the Bulls.

Chicago ranks 19th in the NBA in opponent 3s made per game and 20th in opponent 3-point percentage this season. I think Mitchell is in line for a big game on Wednesday, especially since he’s taking 11.3 3-pointers per game in the month of December. 

Cavaliers vs. Bulls Prediction and Pick

Cleveland has struggled against the spread overall this season (8-19), but the Bulls aren’t much better, going 11-14 in 25 games.

Chicago has fallen off a cliff in several advanced numbers after a strong start to the season, making it very hard to trust it against a Cavs team that has title aspirations. The Bulls have dropped to: 

• 24th in net rating (-5.3)
• 25th in offensive rating (112.1)
• 24th in defensive rating (117.4)

To make matters worse, they have a net rating of -9.7 over their last 10 games, which is the second-worst mark in the NBA during that stretch.

As bad as the Cavs have been to open this season (based on their expectations), they still have a top-10 net rating (+2.7) in the league. 

I’m buying Cleveland to win this game on the road as the Bulls’ season falls further and further into the tank.  

Pick: Cavs -5.5 (-110 at DraftKings)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

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