Toronto Raptors vs. Chicago Bulls Prediction, NBA Odds
Toronto is a 5-point underdog on the NBA odds with a total of 236 points.
Raptors vs. Bulls NBA Betting Odds
Chicago has fairly made over the roster since last summer in trades in shipping Alex Caruso to Oklahoma City, former Raptor DeMar DeRozan to Sacramento and Zach LaVine also to the Kings. Frankly, the Bulls didn’t get good “grades” for any of those trades, but landing Josh Giddey for Carus from the Thunder has worked out really well. The other moves were largely salary dumps and attempts to open up spots for young players.
A core of Giddey (who is a restricted free agent this season but fully expected to re-sign), guard Coby White and raw but promising rookie Matas Buzelis is decent but certainly not close to championship-worthy. Expect the team to trade its best last remaining veteran, centre Nikola Vucevic, this offseason. He was nearly shipped out at the February trade deadline.
It is possible that two-time national championship winning coach Billy Donovan decides to leave after this season instead of sticking around for another rebuilding year. The Bulls will be in the East Play-In Tournament for a third straight year – they have yet to advance to the full-field playoffs – and it’s just a matter of which seed. Likely 9 or 10.
The Bulls try for the four-game season sweep of the Dinos and haven’t won four straight in the series since five in a row between the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.
Toronto Raptors
Toronto’s longest winning streak this NBA season is five straight, and that can be matched tonight after the Dinos won easily at visiting (and very tanking) Philadelphia on Sunday, 127-109 – the Raptors’ average margin of victory in this four-game run is 16.8 points. RJ Barrett led six players in double-figure points vs. Philly with 31. It was his first game with at least 30 points since Dec. 16. Ja’Kobe Walter (17 points), Jamison Battle (16), Jonathan Mogbo (13) and Jamal Shead (11) all scored in double digits as well, the Raptors’ first game ever with four rookies scoring at least 10 in a game. Shead has scored at least 10 in seven of his past nine with a team-high 51 assists in that span. Immanuel Quickley, Jakob Poeltl and Gradey Dick sat out vs. the Sixers. Quickley and Poeltl will play tonight but Barrett, Dick and Ochai Agbaji will not. The Dinos also have won three straight on the road to tie a season-high streak reached now three times. They are 11-26 away, matching the road wins from the 2023-24 campaign. Toronto is 8-1 ATS in its past nine away.
Chicago Bulls
Chicago has been playing a lot better since early March but enters on a two-game skid, and we saw how far the Bulls are from being a really good team Monday when slaughtered 145-117 at Western Conference-leading Oklahoma City. About the only guy who played decent was former Thunder guard Josh Giddey with 15 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in his homecoming game. He was in some question with a hip injury so very possible Giddey sits the second of a B2B. Lonzo Ball sat Monday as he doesn’t play both ends of a back-to-back with his injury history but should tonight and take on a bigger role if Giddey is out. Guard Kevin Huerter was out with a legitimate injury and day-to-day. Coby White has become Chicago’s No. 1 offensive option and averaged 27.7 points in March in a breakout month despite only 7 points last night against a stellar defence. White is averaging 20.8 points in his last five matchups with Toronto. Bulls centre Nikola Vucevic has recorded a double-double in six of his last 10 games vs. the Raptors, averaging 17.3 points and 10.3 rebounds in that stretch. Chicago has no Canadian players on the roster, but GM Marc Eversley served as the Raptors assistant GM from 2006-13. The under is 9-1 in Chicago’s past 10 at home vs. Toronto.
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