Chicago Bulls vs. Toronto Raptors Prediction, NBA Odds
Chicago and Toronto should each be fairly rested heading into their Monday night matchup at Scotiabank Arena. The Bulls have been off since Friday when they beat the visiting Hornets 109-95, while the Raptors last played on Thursday in a 114-104 losing effort in Miami.
Chicago is a 1.5-point favourite to win on the NBA odds, with the total pegged at 240.5.
Bulls vs. Raptors NBA Betting Odds
Toronto took two of three games between the teams last season, winning once at home and once on the road. Overall, the Raptors and Bulls have evenly split the last 10 head-to-heads while hitting the Over just twice in that span.
Even though Chicago has a 7-6 road record this season compared to a 4-9 home record, Toronto is likely still glad to be back home for this game. That’s because the Raptors have been atrocious on the road all year, posting an NBA-worst 1-12 away record.
One thing the Dinos have managed to do, however, is pay bettors. The Raptors are tied with Cleveland as the best cover option in the NBA at 18-8 against the spread. They’ve covered in five of their last six games overall and six of their last seven at home. The Bulls are an even 13-13 ATS this year, but they’ve failed to cover in four of their last six games against Toronto.
Chicago Bulls
Chicago earned a much-needed win on Friday, moving them into ninth place in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. Ayo Dosunmu led the way with a team-high 19 points, while Coby White had 18 and Josh Giddey had 17. Zach LaVine had a quiet night by his standards, finishing with 13 points. It was the second-lowest point total this month for LaVine, who averages a team-high 21.7 points per game.
Keep an eye on LaVine’s status closer to tip-off. On Sunday, the Bulls listed him as questionable against the Raptors because of back spasms. LaVine’s status could obviously significantly impact the game. In addition to his point total, he is also averaging 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting 50.1 per cent from the field and 42.8 per cent from three-point range. This all comes as Chicago is reportedly trying to trade the 29-year-old guard, although a deal isn’t believed to be imminent.
Toronto Raptors
RJ Barrett had a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists on Thursday, but it wasn’t enough to get Toronto their second road win of the year. Gradey Dick continued his strong start to the year with a team-high 22 points, while Jakob Poeltl had 16. The second-year Dick is third in team scoring with 18.0 ppg after averaging just 8.5 ppg in his rookie year. Barrett leads the team with 23.2 ppg and Scottie Barnes is second at 20.6 ppg.
You won’t see Barnes on Monday, however. He sprained his right ankle against the Knicks last Monday and he remains without a timeline for his return. It continues an injury plagued season for Barnes, who already missed 11 games because of an orbital fracture earlier in the year.
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