Raptors vs. Bulls Point Spread: NBA Odds, Prediction
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Charlie Grant
The Toronto Raptors are facing adversity for the first time this young season – and they might be shorthanded, as well, as they take on the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night in the tail end of a back-to-back for both teams. The Raptors dropped a 123-116 overtime decision in Boston on Friday and lost OG Anunoby to a wrist injury in the process. It was the third straight loss for the Raptors following a sizzling 12-1 start – but oddsmakers them to bounce back Saturday.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
There’s plenty of uncertainty on the Toronto side, with Anunoby unlikely to play and star forward Kawhi Leonard also a possibility to sit given that he played a season-high 43 minutes in the loss to the Celtics. But the Raptors are still comfortable favourites against a Bulls team that got outscored by 29 points in the third quarter of their 123-104 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. Toronto has covered five straight games on the back end of a back-to-back.
Totals around the league have settled down after an incredible string of overs, but these teams are still a threat to go over Saturday’s target of 217.5. Toronto has gone 9-2 O/U in its last 11 back-to-back finales and has cashed the over in nine of its last 10 vs. Eastern Conference foes. Chicago is 5-0 to the under in its previous five home games, but has gone a red-hot 14-2 in its previous 16 games against teams above .500 for the season.
Toronto Raptors
After running out of gas – and healthy bodies – against the Celtics, Toronto will likely need to rely on its bench crew even more than usual in Chicago. But it will also mean more chances for Pascal Siakam to show what he’s capable of doing on the offensive end – and that’s a good thing for Toronto, given that Siakam is shooting an incredible 63.3 percent from the field while averaging 19.8 points over his previous five games.
Chicago Bulls
Friday’s third-quarter meltdown might not be indicative of how the Bulls have fared coming out of the break this season, but the stats certainly suggest that it has been a problem. Chicago ranks second last in the NBA in third-quarter scoring margin at minus-3.8 – and while Friday’s result skews the result, the Bulls are still a negative in the quarter even without that blowout. By comparison, Toronto ranks fifth in the NBA in Q3 scoring margin at plus-2.4.
