Bulls schedule release: Key dates, marquee matchups, schedule stats for 2026-27 NBA Season

The new-look Chicago Bulls, headlined by Caleb Wilson and coach Tiago Splitter, will take to the United Center floor for the first time in the 2026-27 NBA regular season on October 21 in Toronto.

The Bulls have a doozy of an opening 12 games, facing the NBA champion Knicks, the LeBron James and Jaylen Brown-led Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics each twice. They’ll face Western Conference contenders San Antonio and Minnesota in that same stretch, and have six of their first eight games on the road.

Let’s dig into more of the details.

Key Dates

• Oct. 7-16: The Bulls will play five preseason games this fall, starting with the Suns and wrapping up with the Timberwolves
• Oct. 20: NBA season tips off
• Oct. 21: Bulls season opener at Toronto
• Oct. 30: NBA Cup Group Play
• Dec. 4-9: NBA Cup knockout rounds
• Dec. 11: NBA Cup Final at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Ind.
• Feb. 11: NBA trade deadline
• Feb. 19-24: All-Star break
• April 11: Last day of regular season at New Orleans

Notable Matchups

• Last year, the Bulls played only three games on national television, tied for second-fewest in the league. In 2026-27, they’ll again play just three such games: Dec. 1 vs. New York, Jan. 4 at Indiana and Jan. 20 at Brooklyn. Five other teams have two national games, while the Bulls are the only team with three.

• Caleb Wilson’s first matchup with the other top-four picks in the NBA draft will be delicious drama. The Bulls will face AJ Dybansta’s Washington Wizards Oct. 24, Darryn Peterson’s Utah Jazz Dec. 6, and Cameron Boozer’s Memphis Grizzlies March 13.
• The Bulls host the NBA Champion New York Knicks for the first time on Oct. 28.
• LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and the Philadelphia 76ers make their United Center debut Nov. 8.
• Victor Wembanyama and the Western Conference Champion San Antonio Spurs come to town on Nov. 11.
• Miami Heat and Giannis Antetokounmpo will come to Chicago on Dec. 14.

After a mass selloff at last year’s deadline, foundational pieces and former franchise cornerstones will make their trips to Chicago at various points in the season.

• Coby White returned to the United Center last year, but his first game back in Chicago for 2026-27 is March 6.
• Fresh off his five-year, $112 million contract, Ayo Dosunmu will return for the final exhibition game when the Wolves come to Chicago for the aforementioned final preseason game (Oct. 16). He’ll make his regular-season return on Jan. 14.
• Nikola Vucevic was shipped to Boston last February, but returned to Orlando as a free agent this summer — his home for nine seasons during his prime. The Magic come to town for the first time on March 15.
• His departure was 18 months ago, but Zach LaVine and the Kings (for now) come to Chicago on March 22.

NBA Cup

The Bulls went 1-3 in their cup games last season, are 3-9 overall, and have yet to advance past Group Play. Here is their schedule this season:

• Oct. 30 at Boston (51.5 O/U)
• Nov. 13 vs. Atlanta (43.5 O/U)
• Nov. 20 vs. Washington (35.5 O/U)
• Nov. 25 at Charlotte (37.5 O/U)

The NBA schedule release only shows 80 games of the 82 they will eventually play. Based on the standings and results of the group stage, two additional games will get assigned to the schedule sometime the week of Dec. 7.

Schedule Stats

InTheNO.net also provided a fun dashboard with unique insights like time zone difference — the number of times a team crosses a time zone on the second night of a back-to-back.

• Rest Advantages: 8 (tied for fourth-fewest)
• Rest Disadvantages: 11 (tied for 12th-most)
• Time Zone Crossing on B2B: 5 (tied for 5th most)
• Back-to-Backs: 15 (tied for second-most)
• Three-in-Fours: 24 (tied for fourth-most)
• Back-to-Back Splits: three home/home, three road/road and six home/road
• Four Four-Game Road Trips: December 18 to December 23, January 7 to January 12, January 26 to February 2, February 11 to February 17
• One Six-Game Homestands: March 6 to March 15

Odds

Bet365 has the Bulls’ win total set at 28.5. Caesars, DraftKings and MGM are at 27.5. BetRivers is at 29.5.

As Norm Powell recently said, the Bulls “have the potential to be really good. But we also have the potential to be really bad.”

And he’s right. With multiple young players expected to carry a significant load, and a gaping hole when it comes to point-of-attack defense, this season could be a real challenge. However, there is talent, a passable veteran infrastructure, and youth that could take meaningful steps forward, which could make them much better.

With the new lottery system coming into effect this season, it will also mark the end of silly season as we know it. No more will teams pack it in starting in January and February (if not sooner), and allow the still-trying team to fatten up. Teams will instead run through the finish line to avoid falling into the relegation zone where they would end up with lower lottery odds.

As a result, the season will be even more challenging, with teams coming to play every night. But with new faces and a legitimate foundation of young pieces, the Bulls will be able to race alongside without the pressure to reset or tank for draft odds hanging over their head. A refreshing change of pace that should produce one of the more enjoyable seasons in recent history.