Move over Bears — Chicago is seeing red

After watching the Bears lose their 5th game in a row, it's hard to root for a team that is out of the playoff race by Thanksgiving. Lately, that distinction has been reserved for the Bulls.

• But not this year.

Why it matters: The team's makeover and hot start have Chicagoans rooting (and spending) for the Bulls.

• According to Vivid Seats, the average price for a Bulls ticket during the 2019-20 season was $96. This season? The average price for a seat is $130, a 40% increase.

What they're saying: Even though the November broadcast ratings won't be out until December, the flagship radio station for Bulls basketball notices the buzz.

• "The resurgence of the Bulls has been so great for our audience," The Score's General Manager Mitch Rosen tells Axios. "This Bulls team is what the people of Chicagoland needed this winter!"

By the numbers: A few eye-popping stats to point out how this Bulls season is already looking special:

• These new-look Bulls have won 13 (UPDATE TK AFTER GAME) games in 2021. Last year? It took three months to win 13 games.
• Star guards Zach Lavine and DeMar DeRozan are both averaging over 25 points a game. Duos that have hit that average over a full season include Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn 2020/21), Durant and Steph Curry (Golden State 2017/18) and LeBron James and Dwyane Wade (Miami 2011/12).

• On their recent West Coast trip, the Bulls beat the Lakers and the Clippers at the Staples Center for the first time since 2011. Then they beat the Nuggets in Denver for the first time since 2006. And finished with a winning record on the trip for the first time since 2016.

Must watch: The Bulls take on Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat on Saturday.