The Toronto Raptors (26-23) host the Chicago Bulls (32-18) Thursday for a 7:30 p.m. ET tip-off at the Scotiabank Arena. Below, we look at the Bulls vs. Raptors odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
Chicago won four of its past five games, including two straight home games over the Orlando Magic Tuesday and Portland Trail Blazers Sunday. The Bulls are 4-3 straight up (SU) and 4-1-2 against the spread (ATS) since Jan. 21. One of those wins was a 111-105 victory versus the Raptors at home Jan. 26.
Toronto won and covered four of its past five games with the lone loss coming at Chicago. The Raptors are 5-2 SU and ATS since Jan. 21.
The Bulls won and covered the first two meetings with the Raptors this season with the Over/Under going 1-1.
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Bulls at Raptors odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:55 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Bulls +170 (bet $100 to win $170) | Raptors -210 (bet $210 to win $100)
- Against the spread: Bulls +4.5 (-102) | Raptors -4.5 (-122)
- Over/Under (O/U): 222.5 (O: -108 | U: -112)
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Bulls at Raptors key injuries
Bulls
- PG Lonzo Ball (knee) out
- SG Alex Caruso (wrist) out
- SG Zach LaVine (back) probable
Raptors
- C Khem Birch (nose) out
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Bulls at Raptors odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Raptors 116, Bulls 108
Money line
PASS. Toronto (-210) is too expensive.
Toronto is 13-6 SU as a home favorite and Chicago is 3-9 SU as a road underdog.
Against the spread
GIMME RAPTORS -4.5 (-122) for 1 unit.
As mentioned, Toronto lost a tight battle at Chicago 111-105 Jan. 26, nearly covering as a 4-point road underdog and it was without leading scorer PG Fred VanVleet (21.5 points per game).
VanVleet should make the difference in this game since the Bulls have two missing starters in their backcourt, both of which are above-average on-ball defenders.
Toronto is stacked at the forward position and has the personnel to make things uncomfortable for Chicago wings LaVine and SF DeMar DeRozan.
On top of that, the Raptors are trending in a better direction than the Bulls. Over the past two weeks, Toronto is sixth in adjusted-net rating (plus-4.3) and 12th in ATS margin (plus-1.3), while Chicago is 17th in both adjusted-net rating and ATS margin, according to CleaningTheGlass.com.
This is a better spot for the Raptors, who are 10-3 ATS at home versus teams with a winning record and the Bulls are 4-5 ATS on the road versus winning teams.
Finally, there’s reverse line movement in Toronto’s direction. According to Pregame.com, nearly two-thirds of the cash wagered is on Chicago, but the Raptors have gone from 2.5-point opening favorites up to the current price. It’s a red flag whenever sportsbooks make the more popular side cheaper.
BET 1 unit on the RAPTORS -4.5 (-122).
Over/Under
PASS.
I “lean” to the Over 222.5 (-108) because Chicago’s defense has fallen off recently and the Bulls are 4-1 O/U in their last five games. Plus, the Raptors have gone Over the total in seven of their last eight games versus winning teams.
However, I prefer Toronto’s spread much more than the total, and a vast majority of the market is backing the Over, per Pregame.com. I hate following the herd in sports betting.
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