The Chicago Bulls (28-40) stay in the United Center tonight to face the Toronto Raptors (38-29) following a dominant 132-107 victory over a struggling Memphis squad on Monday. While the win provided a brief reprieve from a 1-4 West Coast trip, it has reignited the annual "to tank or not to tank" debate in Chicago.

Despite going with a solid 50% winning percentage this month so far, which shows what this group can do at its peak, the Bulls remain struggling overall while sitting 12th in the East and appearing too late to embrace a tanking plan and fully pivot toward the bottom. With Anfernee Simons and Jaden Ivey still sidelined, the burden falls on Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis to prove that these late-season wins are a foundation for the future rather than a hurdle to a better draft pick.

The internal tension in Chicago is obvious. While the front office's long-term strategy remains opaque, the players on the floor are clearly playing for more than just draft position. Giddey’s recent triple-double and Buzelis’s 29-point outburst against Memphis suggest that Billy Donovan doesn't rotate players intentionally for tanking. Instead, the Bulls continue to show their full strength for a spiraling postseason hope while gradually finding some chemistry in this new squad since reshuffling trades by the February deadline. The challenge tonight is to see if they can maintain that offensive flow against the Raptors' fruitful offense and solid defense.

The Raptors arrive in Chicago with a much clearer sense of direction. Currently 5th in the Eastern Conference, Toronto is riding a two-game winning streak following victories over Phoenix and Detroit. The trade-deadline addition of Brandon Ingram (averaging 21.9 PPG) has provided the necessary veteran scoring to complement Scottie Barnes’ all-around dominance. With an injury report that is finally clearing up, the Raptors look like a team finding its rhythm at the perfect time to secure a top-six seed and avoid the Play-In entirely.

Toronto Raptors (38-29) vs. Chicago Bulls (28-40)
Location: United Center | Chicago, IL
Tipoff: Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. CT (8:00 p.m. ET)
TV: Chicago Sports Network (CHSN), TSN | Announcers: Adam Amin, Stacey King Radio: WSCR AM 670 | Announcers: Chuck Swirsky, Bill Wennington

Betting Line: Raptors -7.5
Moneyline: Raptors -305, Bulls +245
Over/Under: 234.5

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. The National Council on Problem Gambling help-line is available at 1-800-522-4700.

Chicago Bulls

Toronto Raptors

Chicago Bulls vs. Memphis Grizzlies (March 16)

Toronto Raptors vs. Detroit Pistons (March 15)