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The Toronto Raptors host the Chicago Bulls in a battle for the East! It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Bulls-Raptors prediction and pick.
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The Chicago Bulls are hot right now. They contain the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with a (32-18) record. Chicago is coming off of an 11-point win over the Orlando Magic last time out. As for the Raptors, they are coming off of a win over the Miami Heat and are the 8th seed in the East. They have a (26-23) record and are tied with the Boston Celtics for 5.5 games behind the Bulls.
Here are the Bulls-Raptors NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Bulls-Raptors Odds
Chicago Bulls: +3.5 (-106)
Toronto Raptors: -3.5 (-114)
Over: 223 (-110)
Under: 223 (-110)
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Why The Bulls Could Cover The Spread
Chicago is just 5-5 in their last 10 games but despite that, they have still regained the top-seed in the East. The Bulls are getting healthier but will still be without Lonzo Ball for the next few weeks. Patrick Williams and Derrick Jones Jr. are also out with injuries and so they will be without some depth against the Raptors. The one person the Bulls need to see more production out of is Coby White, who was the Bulls' first-round selection back in 2019. The point guard was supposed to be their guy, but when Ball came in it changed everything around. White hasn't been playing to their expectations and he's starting to lose his role even without Ball playing. He played 29 minutes against the Magic but finished with just nine points off 4-12 shooting. White is averaging 12.8 points per game and that needs to improve if the Bulls want to continue being successful.
Why The Raptors Could Cover The Spread
The Raptors beat a good Heat team last time out. For a team that doesn't contain or really utilize any big men, the Raptors are finding ways to win. Gary Trent Jr. has scored 30 points in all five of his past games and is really turning heads right now. He scored 33 off 6-10 shooting from three against the Heat and is the biggest reason for their success right now. If it wasn't for Trent Jr. going off lately, then the Raptors could very well be out of the playoff contention. If the Raptors want to beat the Bulls here, Trent Jr. will have no choice but to be a factor as they don't have very much depth.
Toronto will need to find a way to not let the Bulls control the boards and they need to run in transition with their small-ball style of basketball. Look for Fred VanVleet and Scottie Barnes to be involved in their game plan as well. OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam's roles have changed since they decided not to utilize any big men, to those two will need to work together to shut down Nikola Vucevic, who is one of the top offensive centers in the NBA.
Final Bulls-Raptors Prediction & Pick
The Raptors come in as the favorites at home in this one. I think that is the right call because they are playing very well as of late. But I am going to take the Bulls to cover this spread on the road and continue to increase their lead in the East. This also has the makings of a high-scoring affair.
Final Bulls-Raptors Prediction & Pick: Bulls +3.5 (-106) and over: 223 (-110)
