Bash sees a market pricing this at 250 points between two lottery teams, but with Chicago missing Giddey and Buzelis and Washington without Young and Sarr, the projection at 236.7 creates a 13.3-point cushion on the under in a late-season game between skeleton crews.
Bulls at Wizards: The Line and the Edge
The Bulls are 6.5-point road favorites in Washington on Tuesday night, and this number tells you everything about how far both franchises have fallen. Chicago sits at 29-49, losers of seven straight. Washington is 17-61, having lost six straight and 22 of their last 23. The total sits at 250.0, which is massive for two teams missing their best players.
Both rosters are decimated. Chicago is without Josh Giddey (17.0 points, 9.1 assists) and Matas Buzelis (16.3 points)—their two best players this season. Washington counters with its own injury mess—Trae Young hasn't played since March 16, Alexandre Sarr is out with a toe issue, and Anthony Davis remains sidelined. The Wizards also have four questionable players who could thin the rotation further.
The projection has Chicago winning by about a point, which creates value on Washington catching 6.5. But the cleaner play is the under 250.0. The projection sits at 236.7, giving us a 13.3-point cushion against a total that assumes both offenses will function at a high level for 48 minutes. That's not happening with these rosters.
Game Info & Betting Lines
- Matchup: Chicago Bulls (29-49) at Washington Wizards (17-61)
- Date & Time: Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 7:00 PM ET
- Location: Capital One Arena
- Spread: Bulls -6.5 (-110) | Wizards +6.5 (-110)
- Total: O 250.0 (-110) | U 250.0 (-110)
- Moneyline: Bulls -256 | Wizards +201
The Matchup: What Decides This Game
The net rating edge favors Chicago by 5.9 points per 100 possessions. The Bulls sit at -5.5 for the season; Washington is at -11.4. Both defenses are broken—Chicago allows 117.8 points per 100 possessions, Washington allows 121.3. The pace blend sits at 102.7 possessions, which means plenty of opportunities for both sides to expose defensive weaknesses.
But 250 is asking both teams to score efficiently for an entire game without their best players. Chicago's offense runs through Collin Sexton and Tre Jones now—Giddey's 9.1 assists per game are gone, and the ball movement suffers. Washington's offense is a collection of young guys trying to get theirs without Young orchestrating. Will Riley has back-to-back 30-point games, but he's not enough to create consistent offense against even a mediocre opponent.
The shooting edge is small—Chicago holds a 1.3-percentage-point advantage in true shooting. The turnover rate is basically even. Neither team has shown the ability to sustain offensive runs without their best contributors. The defensive ratings are awful, but the execution won't be there to push this total over 250.
Bash's Best Bet
I'm taking the under in a game between two broken rosters with nothing to play for. The projection gives us a 13.3-point cushion against the posted total. Chicago just gave up 120 to Phoenix but also struggled to score consistently in the fourth quarter without Giddey and Buzelis. Washington has surrendered 305 combined points in back-to-back blowouts, but they're also averaging just 113.1 points per game on the season.
The risk here is a garbage-time explosion where both teams stop defending entirely and the total creeps over. But the projection gives us enough cushion to absorb some variance. This is a late-season game between lottery teams with depleted rosters. The pace will be there, but the efficiency won't.
BASH'S BEST BET: Under 250.0 for 1 unit.