Tuesday’s seventh NBA Week 8 match is between Orlando Magic and Chicago Bulls. The opening tip-off is set to commence at 12:10PM with the game to be played at United Center. The home team Chicago Bulls are the favourites for the match. View our preview and teams for the game between Orlando Magic and Chicago Bulls.

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When: 12:10 | Tuesday 17/12/2013

Where: United Center, Chicago, IL

Orlando Magic $3.48 vs Chicago Bulls $1.33 at Sportsbet Australia get a $250 FREE BET on this match

Orlando Magic $3.50 vs Chicago Bulls $1.31 at Luxbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

Odds Comparison:

Orlando Magic	3.48	3.45	3.50	3.45	3.48	3.48
Chicago Bulls	1.33	1.33	1.31	1.33	1.33	1.31

Teams:

Orlando Magic:

Chicago Bulls:

Preview:

The Chicago Bulls may not know who is going to be on the court on a nightly basis, but they may be in good position to avoid their first four-game home slide in four seasons Monday night.

The Bulls have won five straight against the Orlando Magic, who own poor records on the road and in the second half of back-to-back games.

Chicago (9-13) suffered its worst home loss, 99-77 to Toronto on Saturday. Luol Deng returned to the lineup after missing the previous four games because of a sore left Achilles, but Kirk Hinrich sat out due to back stiffness.

It’s unclear whether Hinrich will play Monday.

Deng scored 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting in the first half before making 1 of 9 attempts for two points the rest of the way.

“The first half, I came out aggressive, I shot the ball great,” Deng said. “The second half I felt my timing was off.”

Now the Bulls will try to avoid their first four-game slide at the United Center since losing five straight March 1-19, 2010.

Orlando (7-17) arrives in the Windy City with a 2-11 road record, a 1-5 mark in the second half of back-to-game games and a 0-3 record on Mondays. The Magic fought valiantly in Sunday’s 101-98 loss at Oklahoma City.

Jacque Vaughn’s club trailed by as many as 16 points before nearly sending the game to overtime. Glen Davis missed a late 3-point attempt and another by Tobias Harris came just after time ran out.

“We had our chance to take it to overtime,” leading scorer Arron Afflalo said. “It would have been great momentum for us. It just didn’t happen.”

Afflalo scored 25 points and Nik Vucevic added 13 and 16 rebounds for the Magic, losers of eight of nine overall.

The player Orlando may be most concerned about stopping could be Carlos Boozer, who averaged 24.7 points and 11.3 rebounds in three meetings last season. Vucevic averaged 17.3 points and 12.8 rebounds in four matchups to lead the Magic.

Last season’s Chicago team averaged 93.2 points. That figure is down to 91.6 this season – including 79.0 per contest on 36.4 percent shooting during a woeful five-game stretch in which the Bulls have lost four.

“I think a lot of it is us having guys in and out,” Deng said. “We’re not getting as much practice time with guys.”

Teammate Joakim Noah, who has three straight double-doubles, didn’t quite agree.

“No excuses,” he said. “I know that we’re capable of a lot better than that. We can’t get frustrated. Our effort has to be a lot better to play winning basketball. But it’s going to come.”

Injuries were a problem for the Magic through most of this season. Vucevic missed four games with a sprained ankle, Davis sat out the first 11 after offseason foot surgery, and Jameer Nelson missed three with a foot injury.

All of those players are back now, and Orlando is hoping better days lie ahead.

“Overall, our guys really believed from beginning to end that we were going to win that game (Sunday) and that’s a good start for us,” Vaughn said.

Source: www.nba.com