Chicago Bulls vs. Detroit Pistons: TV Schedule, Live Stream, Spread Info & More

The Chicago Bulls will travel to Auburn Hills to take on the Detroit Pistons. They have been on fire this week, and if the week continues at this pace, they will be moving up my weekly NBA power rankings.

This will be the second half of a back-to-back, and it figures to be a tough one. The Bulls had to exert tons of energy to come back from a 19-point deficit against the Hawks last night at home. Now they must make the short trip to Michigan for tonight's game.

The Pistons are 2-3, and Pistons fans should be encouraged by what they've seen from Brandon Knight up to now. They are anchored in the middle by Greg Monroe. Former Bull Ben Gordon finally seems healthy and has a firm hold on the shooting guard position.

Where: Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI

When: Wednesday, Jan 4, 7:30 EDT

Watch: Comcast Sports Net in Chicago, Fox Sports Detroit

Listen: WMVP-AM 1000 in Chicago, WDFN - 1130 AM in Detroit

Betting Line: Chicago -6 according to oddshark.com

Live Stream: NBA League Pass

Key Injuries

Bulls

Rip Hamilton hopes to play (sore groin)

CJ Watson out with bruised elbow

Pistons

No Injuries to Report

What's At Stake?

Both teams are on win streaks. The Bulls have won four in a row, while the Pistons have won two in a row. This is also the first division game for Chicago. Last year, the Bulls were a dominant 15-1 against the Central Division and they hope to continue that dominance.

What They're Saying

One of the biggest storylines in this game is the return of Richard Hamilton to Detroit. Rip spent nine years in Detroit and was a part of championship teams with a core of he, Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince.

Ben Wallace has been where Rip is and back, having left Detroit via free agency for the Bulls, only to return after a stop in Cleveland. He had this to say about his former teammate and friends' return:

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"It's gonna be weird," Wallace said after Monday night's victory over the Magic. "But for the most part I'm just happy that he's happy where he's at. Anytime you see a guy move on that, I feel like he was not only a good teammate, he was one of my brothers.

I'm just glad he's happy. I hope he's having fun where he's at. But when he comes in here, hopefully we can walk away and get the win and talk about that after the game."

 

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Rip's current teammate, Carlos Boozer, also knows what it's like to leave a team you have history with and return. Boozer expects the Pistons' fans will greet their former warrior positively:

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"I've been there before," Boozer said after Tuesday night's win over the Atlanta Hawks. "As a player, being in a certain place for a long time and then going back...he won a championship for that team. They'll probably give him a warm applause and well deserved. He got a championship there, been there for almost 10 years. I think he was there for nine years. They won a lot ... It will still be different. [For] everybody to see him in a different uniform will be different for all the fans." 

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Bulls Player To Watch: Richard Hamilton

If he plays as expected, it will be interesting to see how  he performs against his old team. The Bulls are going to need Hamilton's scoring for the long haul, and this would be a nice place to start a nice string of games.

Pistons Player To Watch: Brandon Knight

The Pistons rookie has been averaging 11 points per game this year. He is still developing his playmaking skills, but as of now he'll offer a nice perimeter scoring option.

Key Matchup

Ben Gordon vs. Richard Hamilton will be a matchup to watch. Gordon's arrival triggered Hamilton's unhappiness in Detroit and Gordon was a longtime Bull before signing with the Pistons, so storylines and connections run deep in this game.

Both will be trying to perform well against each other, and their former teams.

Prediction

Bulls 101 Pistons 90

The Bulls are playing well right now, but due to the emotionally draining comeback last night, they are best suited to get out to a fast start. If not, the Pistons' young legs could dig the Bulls a hole they can't climb out of on consecutive nights.

Hamilton and Boozer will both produce tonight, as Hamilton didn't play, and Boozer played only 26 minutes, so they should be among the freshest of the Bulls.