Chicago Bulls at Denver Nuggets | Preseason Game 3 | Sunday, October 11, 2026 | 8:00 PM CT / 9:00 PM ET / 7:00 PM MT | Ball Arena, Denver | CHSN, Altitude Sports, ESPN
I told you the Bulls would beat Memphis on Friday and picked Chicago 117-113. We lost 104-100. This is why preseason predictions are a fool’s errand, and also why I keep writing them anyway.
Sunday is the first road game of the Tiago Splitter era, and it comes with a long injury list, a rookie who just took a very bold shot and a Nuggets team with Nikola Jokic on the other side. Here’s how I see it.
Game Info: Bulls at Nuggets
- Date: Sunday, October 11, 2026
- Tip-off: 8:00 PM CT / 9:00 PM ET / 7:00 PM MT
- Venue: Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado
- TV: Chicago Sports Network in Chicago and Altitude Sports in Denver, with ESPN listed nationally (one aggregator’s listing; check local guides)
- Preseason records: Bulls 1-1 (beat Phoenix 124-117, lost to Memphis 104-100); Nuggets 1-1 (lost to Utah 109-97, beat Utah 117-106)
- Odds: I couldn’t find a reliable posted line. One preview listed Chicago as a roughly 7.5-point underdog in its handicap picks, but treat that as unconfirmed
What Happened Against Memphis
The Bulls trailed 60-50 at halftime, and Caleb Wilson dragged them back into it. The No. 4 pick led Chicago with 21 points, mostly in the second half, as the team tied the game at 67 in the third quarter. Norman Powell had 17, Josh Giddey 13, and Leonard Miller added 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Then came the moment everybody is talking about. Down 102-100 with two seconds left in regulation, Wilson took a long, low-percentage three that would have given the Bulls a one-point lead. It missed, Chicago fouled and Memphis made both free throws. Wilson owned it: “No overtime. I’m going for it all, every time.” I love the swagger and I’d rather it wasn’t a deep three, but that’s what a preseason is for.
The Injury Report Is Long
This is the part that worries me.
- Matas Buzelis left the Memphis game with a right ankle injury and sat out the second half. He had six points in about 12 minutes. He said, “It’s not bad… Just a little sore, nothing crazy,” and that he expects to be ready Sunday. He plans to fly with the team. Don’t be surprised if the team decides to rest him anyway.
- Nic Claxton (hamstring) remains out and will be re-evaluated in about two weeks. Zach Collins is out as well. That leaves Jalen Smith and two-way big Tobe Awaka as the main healthy bigs, with others filling in.
- Tre Jones and two-way guard Jaylin Sellers are injured, so Dailyn Swain is the primary backup to Giddey. Splitter told him to be aggressive and get into the paint. Swain went 2-of-6 for six points with four assists and two turnovers on Friday.
What the Nuggets Look Like
Denver beat Utah 117-106 on Tuesday after losing the opener. Nikola Jokic played that game (and picked up a technical foul over Utah using a smaller defender on him), while the starters and DeMar DeRozan rested in the second half. Julian Strawther had 15 points on 3-for-4 from three off the bench, Aaron Gordon looked energized, and Cam Whitmore had the highlight dunk. Jamal Murray missed the opener, and one preview expects him to play Sunday, but I couldn’t confirm that. One preview also lists a Jones as injured; I couldn’t tell which, so check the report.
I’d expect Jokic on a limited minutes load. Even 20 minutes is enough for him to expose a thin Chicago frontcourt, because his reads out of the pick-and-roll are the thing Bulls bigs struggle with.
The Matchups That Matter
Chicago’s interior defense vs. Jokic. With Claxton and Collins out, Jalen Smith and Awaka are the first line of defense. Splitter has floated small-ball lineups with long forwards like Wilson and Noa Essengue at center, and tonight could be the night to see if that holds up.
Pace and turnovers. Splitter wants to play fast, which suits a team with young legs. But Denver’s veterans punish sloppy possessions, and the Bulls’ guard depth is down to Giddey and Swain.
Wilson’s shot diet. He shoots 39.4% from the field through two games, per one preview, and was 0-for-4 from three in the opener. The aggression is good. The efficiency has to improve.
Rotations. Preseason road games are about minutes. Splitter says he wants to play nine to 11 players. If Buzelis sits, expect extra looks for Miller, Patrick Williams and the two-way guys.
What Actually Decides It
Neither team is playing to win in the traditional sense. Denver will manage its stars’ minutes, and Chicago will test lineups. The result will come down to who has more bodies at the end of a rotation-heavy game, and Denver’s bench has more proven NBA players than a Bulls team missing four rotation pieces.
I’d like to say the Bulls steal one on the road. But a short-handed roster against Jokic’s offense is a tough combination, even in October. I’m taking Denver by a comfortable margin, and I’ll be watching Wilson, Swain and the center rotation more than the score.
Final Score Prediction: Denver Nuggets 116, Chicago Bulls 107
Tough Game Tonight, but let´s go Bulls!
The post Bulls vs. Nuggets Game October 11th: A Banged-Up Bulls Team Hits the Road to Face Jokic’s Nuggets appeared first on UrbanMatter.
