The Chicago Bulls have officially hit their first rough patch of the season.

They started off getting blown out by the Toronto Raptors. They quickly rebounded with a win over the Milwaukee Bucks before losing four straight games. Chicago's most recent loss was an NBA Cup Group Play matchup against the Boston Celtics. That was the second time the Bulls have faced the Celtics this season, but the result was the same as the first matchup. 

Chicago has lost its past two games to Boston by a combined score of 259-210. 

The Bulls' struggles haven't stopped the Caleb Wilson highlights from coming. The explosive forward came alive from the 3-point line in the last game, knocking down 6-of-11 shots from deep. The fact that Wilson drained six 3-pointers overshadowed his struggles from the free throw line (3-6).

But even with the charity stripe troubles, Wilson and Norman Powell--who is averaging 20.7 PPG, second on the team behind Wilson--continue to lead the Bulls' offense. Powell's 3-point shot (1-5) wasn't falling against Boston, but he led the Bulls in free throw attempts (7-8) in the loss.  

Matas Buzelis stepping up to lead the Bulls' offense would be a welcome sight on Monday night. The third-year forward is struggling to make an impact on games. Buzelis had 14 points in 20 minutes in the loss to Boston, with four personal fouls limiting his ability to contribute. 

Leading the Chicago offense will be a tall task against a physical and versatile Philadelphia 76ers squad.

Philadelphia currently possesses one of the best defenses in the NBA. The Sixers rank fourth (104.9) in Defensive Rating and 5th in steals per game (9.2) according to NBA.com. 

A Chicago team that is in the bottom 10 in turnover rate--Bulls are 21st in TOV rate at 16.5%--could be put away early on Monday evening if they don't avoid turning the ball over. 

It's about as bad of a matchup as you can get in terms of strengths and weaknesses. The Bulls are 28th in the league in opponents' points off turnovers (23.3 PPG), while the Sixers are fourth in points off turnovers at 23.1 PPG. 

It's not often the numbers spell things out so directly. If the Bulls struggle with turnovers on Monday night, expect Philadelphia to rack up 20+ points off turnovers with ease. 

Longtime Chicago Bulls rival LeBron James is aging well, still putting up 20+ PPG over his last five matchups with the Bulls. James doesn't need to focus much on buckets in his new home, as he is surrounded by explosive scorers in Philadelphia. 

The offense is still a work in progress in Philadelphia, but a clear pecking order has formed. James appears to be fourth in that pecking order offensively behind Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown, with Maxey leading the way by a wide margin. 

Coaching will be a huge factor in Monday's game, as Tiago Splitter will be forced to find creative ways to keep the Chicago defense afloat.

This is a more difficult task with offseason trade acquisition Nic Claxton still sidelined, although it was announced that Claxton was a full participant in the most recent practice.

Keeping a physically imposing Sixers team out of the paint--possibly sans Claxton, who is officially listed as "doubtful"--will be the key to Chicago having a chance of picking up a big win on Monday.

Here's everything you need to know ahead of the Bulls game against the Sixers on Monday evening:

Chicago Bulls (1-5) @ Philadelphia 76ers (6-1)

Location: Xfinity Mobile Arena | Philadelphia, PA

Tipoff: Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. CT

TV: Chicago Sports Network, NBA League Pass

Radio: 104.3 FM The Score

Betting Line (FanDuel): Sixers -11.5 (-110), Bulls +11.5 (-110)

Moneyline: Sixers -550, Bulls +410

Over/Under: 239.5

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Nic Claxton: Doubtful (Left Hamstring Strain)

Tobe Awaka: Probable (Left Ankle Sprain)

Jalen Smith: Probable (Left Finger Sprain)

Philadelphia 76ers

Dominick Barlow: Out: (Low Back Stress Reaction)

Joel Embiid: Questionable: (Right Foot Plantar Fascia Injury Management)

Ariel Hukporti: Out (Right Achilles Tendon Rupture / Tear)