The Chicago Bulls are, without a doubt, championship contenders. Any claim to the contrary is ignorant of the information available, either willingly or otherwise.

In case the facts have eluded you thus far:

Chicago is tied for the best record in the Eastern Conference, sitting pretty at 50-19.

The Bulls rank second in the league in efficiency differential, a measure that negates the impact of pace and ascertains a more accurate view of total performance.

In 11 games this month Chicago has posted an average efficiency differential of +13.3 points per 100 possessions, an even higher mark than their season average. The Bulls are on top of the world, and they’re destroying almost every opponent put in front of them with the playoffs right around the corner.

Chicago also ranks second in average point differential (+7.07), coming in just a shade below Miami (+7.11) for league-high honors.

The Bulls’ defense isn’t just the best in the league, but impressive even by historical standards. As SI.com’s Zach Lowe pointed out in his analysis of the Bulls as contenders, Chicago’s 99.9 points allowed per 100 possessions is among the top marks in the N.B.A. since alterations to the hand-checking rules made it easier for offensive players to score before the 2004-5 season.

Chicago holds its opponents to a lower effective field goal percentage than any other team in the league.

The icing on the cake: Chicago’s yearlong numbers may undersell its worth on offense and defense. Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer have missed a combined 54 games this season, and though the Bulls didn’t seem to miss a beat, it’s hard to make the case that Chicago wouldn’t have been better off with its best defensive big and a highly productive scorer and rebounder in the mix. We’ve seen just how good Chicago has been with a healthy roster – like in its 40-point win over Sacramento on Monday night, for instance – but there’s a distinct possibility that this team is only getting better.

Armed with all of that information – in addition to what we know of Derrick Rose’s heroics, the Bulls’ genuine chemistry, and Tom Thibodeau’s ability to keep his team playing at a high level – the declaration of the Bulls as contenders comes easily.

The slightly more difficult claim (and one that’s sure to be met with skepticism) is that the Bulls aren’t just contenders. They’re the championship favorites.

By definition, the favorite is the incumbent of the status quo. They are the probable winners based on current trajectory, the best team in the present climate. We don’t yet have the clarity of a concrete playoff bracket, so for the moment, contending legitimacy is evaluated in a vacuum; each team’s merits are debated independently of whom they may or may not have to play come April and June.

Under those criteria, it’s hard not to pick Chicago as the team to beat. Of all the powerful forces that figure to shape this year’s playoffs, the Bulls’ defense is the most stable. The team is performing at a high level now, just as it has all season. Every other contender’s potential comes conditionally. If the Celtics can maintain their defense over the long term without Kendrick Perkins, then they’ll be incredibly tough. If the Lakers are motivated when it matters, then they’re incredibly effective. If the Heat can figure out its issues on both ends, then it has enough talent to beat anyone. If Tim Duncan can recover from injury and the Spurs can shore up their flimsy defense, then that team has championship potential. All of those are great teams and rightful contenders, but Chicago is the only N.B.A. club going all-out all the time. Effort and execution on defense are simply nonissues with these Bulls, and the results have been breathtaking.

In our own attempts at pseudo punditry (is there any other kind?), we can all try to anticipate which team will “flip the switch” in the postseason. We can even cite the Lakers and the Celtics of last season, among numerous other late-season bloomers, as precedent. Yet those kinds of considerations are opposed to the very concept of a championship favorite. It’s not about which team might be able to “turn it on,” come playoff time, but understanding which squads have the body of work to remove the most doubt. The Bulls aren’t without concern, but their most powerful asset is never in question.

Chicago’s defense is consistent, it’s amazingly effective, and it’s the singular factor that makes Chicago more than a mere contender. We’re still a long way from June, but the Bulls are the best team in basketball and — assumptions of conditional events notwithstanding — the championship favorites.