New Orleans Pelicans vs Chicago Bulls Final Score & Over/Under Result — Dec 31, 2025

The first quarter set the tone for a high-scoring affair, as New Orleans and Chicago combined for 68 points—the game's heaviest offensive output—before the Pelicans ultimately fell 134–118 at the United Center. The two teams scored 129 combined in the first half, then slowed to 123 in the second, a 6-point drop that favored Chicago's defense down the stretch. The Bulls pulled away with 37 points in the fourth quarter to seal a 16-point victory.

Zion Williamson led New Orleans with 31 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Jordan Poole added 26 points off the bench. For Chicago, Isaac Okoro's 24 points and Tre Jones's 20 points with 12 assists powered the home offense. Matas Buzelis chipped in 19 points and 6 rebounds for the Bulls.

The market total of 248.5 proved conservative. The combined 252 pushed the game over by 3.5, despite the second half's relative lull. DAGGER leaned under heading into tipoff—and that call missed. Looking at recent form, Chicago had been allowing 122.2 per game over its last 10, while New Orleans was scoring 122.1 on average, suggesting the offensive firepower was there to clear the number. The Pelicans' December win over Chicago (114–104, total 218) felt like a distant outlier; November's 143–130 thriller (273 combined) was the closer precedent.