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A rematch of Sunday's epic showdown will take place later Monday night, as the Toronto Raptors hit the road instead to the Windy City to battle it out with the Chicago Bulls on the hardwood. Join us for our NBA odds series, where we reveal our Raptors-Bulls prediction and pick.
On Sunday, the 6-4 Raptors were able to take care of business versus the Bulls by a score of 113-104. With three wins in their previous four meeting overall, Toronto is seemingly headed in the right direction under the leadership of head coach Nick Nurse, who is in his fifth season leading the Raptors.
As for the Chicago, the Bulls are off to a little bit of a slow start with a 5-6 record, but they remain a talented squad capable of making some noise out East. After reeling off a pair of consecutive wins, the Bulls have since dropped two in a row and will look to return to the .500 mark with a hard-earned spread-covering victory this Monday.
Here are the Raptors-Bulls NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Raptors-Bulls Odds
Toronto Raptors: +2.5 (-110)
Chicago Bulls: -2.5 (-110)
Over: 220.5 (-110)
Under: 220.5 (-110)
Why The Raptors Could Cover The Spread
During the first meeting between these two squads on Monday, it was the Raptors that did a phenomenal job in making life difficult in the paint for the Bulls and also creating havoc in the turnover department.
As a whole, the Raptors have showcased that they can be an excellent team when it comes to team defense and making sure the ball doesn't even make it to the rim. The greatest example of this came in the form of Toronto forward Christian Koloko, who racked up an absurd six of the 10 blocked shots in the victorious effort. With the absence of Pascal Siakam, Koloko has done a wonderful job with his extra minutes on the floor.
Going hand in hand, another defensive swarming of the Bulls should do just the trick in covering the spread. Through 10 games played, the Raptors rank fourth in the entire NBA in defensive efficiency and are only allowing teams to score 106.1 points per game against them.
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Not to mention, but Toronto can sure light it up when given the chance! With an average of 113.4 points per game, the Raptors have failed to drop at least 100 points only one time and are receiving great contributions from shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. with his 18.4 points per game thus far. In his sixth season out of Duke and only 23 years of age, Trent Jr. could be a difference-maker in this one, especially since he most likely wants to rebound after a 12-point performance in which he only shot 36 percent from the field.
Why The Bulls Could Cover The Spread
After compiling a 46-36 record and clinching a playoff berth for the first time since 2016-17 a year ago, the Bulls have every right to have higher-than-normal expectations than what they have had over the last several season. Even though Chicago has gotten off to a sluggish start, they are still expected to be a playoff contender for the second straight season in the Eastern Conference.
With the loss to the Raptors on Sunday, it would make sense that the Bulls may come out a little hungrier to get revenge. Luckily, the Bulls will be playing in front of their home fans which have treated them well with a positive 3-2 record in five games. With that being said, the Achilles heel of the Raptors' play this season has been as visitors, as they possess a shaky 2-3 mark thus far.
When it comes to the play on the court, expect the Bulls to utilize a hefty dose of small forward DeMar DeRozan, who has been nearly unstoppable with his 25.1 points per game and 51 percent shooting from the floor. Against the Raptors on Sunday, DeRozan had a quiet 20 points after erupting for 46 in the game prior versus the Boston Celtics. If DeRozan can start off with a hot hand, then look out ladies and gentleman!
Last but not the least, the question is if Chicago can snap out of their sloppy play that has resulted in a boatload of giveaways. Coming off of a whopping 17 turnovers, the Bulls cannot afford to waste offensive possessions, especially with the injury bug and load management rearing its ugly head for Chicago this early into the season.
Final Raptors-Bulls Prediction & Pick
At first glance, this has the making to be a great matchup. However, it would be wise to side with the Raptors formulating a similar recipe for success like they did on Sunday.
Final Raptors-Bulls Prediction & Pick: Raptors +2.5 (-110)
