NBA Play-In: Chicago Bulls vs. Toronto Raptors Preview, Odds, Predictions

The Chicago Bulls and the Toronto Raptors are the second pair of the East play-in tournament, with the two being the 9th and the 10th seeds in this conference. The Raptors had a better record, posting a win more than the Bulls, so the home-court edge, in this case, is theirs. The former champs have been projected to be on the verge of the play-in zone, but on the other side, the Bulls have had a subpar season, with them aiming for a direct playoff spot. 

In the meantime, here is the preview for the game Atlanta Hawks vs. Miami Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. LA Lakers.

Preview

Chicago Bulls (+160) have certain problems in their chemistry because the quality of the unit isn’t an issue here, and that’s a fact. Having LaVine, DeRozan, and Vucevic, plus White, Caruso, and the rest of the role players, put this team’s roster among the best in the league, but simply, something is wrong in Illinois. 

The current form might be something encouraging for the Bulls, who won four of the previous six events, coming into this game after back-to-back victories, beating the Mavericks on the road, 115-112 and the Pistons at home, 103-81. 

Over points took place in seven of their previous 10 appearances, and the Bulls are playing fast and exciting basketball lately. Their shooting percentages have been pretty high throughout the season, third-best in the NBA, but they have only the 21st points-per-game offense. 

Toronto Raptors (-225) had ups and downs throughout this campaign, but overall, Nick Nurse and the crew left a mild impression. We got used to seeing the Raptors physical and very tough on the defensive side of the ball while being versatile and creative in the offense. 

Now, the defense has been solid, but the offense struggled to find consistency, and they couldn’t catch the rhythm throughout the entire season. They are 6-3 in the past nine games, but on the other side, Toronto uses the home-court advantage very well.

This season, the Raptors have triumphed 27 times at home and lost 14 times, but their form has been on the rise as the regular-season final approached. Toronto lost just one game at the Scotiabank in the last 12, which is the main reason they reached the play-in tournament in the first place.

Head to Head Games

Both teams used the home-court edge perfectly, with the Raptors winning twice in Canada, 113-104 in November and 104-98 in late February. The Bulls have triumphed in one game played at United Center, 111-97. 

All three of those events went under.

Prediction

The fact that the Raptors utilize their arena in the best possible way is the primary reason for betting on their victory. Odds are very satisfying given the circumstances, and we don’t even need to look for the spread or anything like that. The Bulls can’t answer Toronto’s tough defense, which will be even harder now, with the officiating criteria in the playoffs being different than during the regular part of the campaign. The tougher it gets, the better chances for the Raptors. 

Pick: Toronto Raptors win -225