The NBA play in tournament continues on Tuesday as Toronto and Chicago play north of the border. NBA playoffs predictions went swimmingly on day one for bettors as the Hawks and Lakers were the first two teams to move past round one.
NBA player stats played a huge role, and the lack of depth for Minnesota forced all five starters to play too many minutes.
As for this game and any Raptors vs Bulls betting thoughts, both squads should be fully healthy (save for Otto Porter). The NBA schedule has things tipping at 7:00 PM EST.
Toronto Raptors vs. Chicago Bulls Odds
Toronto Raptors vs. Chicago Bulls Information
Toronto Raptors vs Chicago Bulls
Location of the game: Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, CA.
Date and Time: Wednesday at 7:00 PM EST.
How to Watch: ESPN
Toronto Raptors vs. Chicago Bulls Recent Scores
NBA picks today need to be made knowing that Chicago went 4-1 in their final five regular season games. They had one of the top defenses in the league in the second half of the year after bringing Patrick Beverley in. Among the two NBA games tonight, this may have the most intrigue as a result.
As for Toronto, they went 3-2 to close out the campaign. They were much better after bringing in Jakob Poeltl. To think a three-week stretch with zero wins happened, and yet they finished at .500, is pretty impressive. NBA odds today should be able to do justice in reflecting their resiliency. Raptors vs Bulls betting analysis to follow.
Toronto Raptors vs. Chicago Bulls Betting Analysis
Toronto Raptors Facts to Know
Gary Trent Jr. has primarily come off the bench, while Jakob Poeltl has been here, and the team seems to be better as a result of that. There is a lot of pressure on the Toronto Raptors, as they opted not to rebuild and try and build a winner during the deadline.
The NBA team stats have not exactly wow’ed at all, but they have continued to claw and fight. They are good enough to be here, and they will just try and do what they can.
Chicago Bulls Facts to Know
After a somewhat slow start to his season, Zach LaVine has gotten back to his old self over the past few months. He is regularly scoring in the 30s and poses one of the best scoring duos in the NBA with DeMar DeRozan.
Alex Caruso, Patrick Williams, and Pat Bev have guided the defense nicely. They do enough on that end, in spite of not having rim protection, to eke out wins.
A 40-42 season is very impressive, considering how low Chicago Bulls once was.
Key Injuries
Thankfully for both sides in this one, the injury report should be fully devoid of names. Otto Porter was limited to eight games for the Raptors due to foot issues, but the other guys should all be available. Nick Nurse won’t dip deep into his bench, but it will be good to know that he can.
Chicago has all of their core players available. Raptors vs Bulls betting selections are coming up next in the section below.
Toronto Raptors vs. Chicago Bulls Betting Preview
- Moneyline: Chicago Bulls +176, Toronto Raptors -212
- Spread: Toronto Raptors -5.5
- Total: 212.5
Toronto Raptors vs. Chicago Bulls Betting Prediction
Moneyline: Chicago Bulls +176
The Bulls have enough talent to not only win this game but the one after it as well. They have played good ball in the last couple of months, and they have the scoring needed to stay in any game.
Sure, they would likely run into a buzz saw after the play-in, but they may be the best left in the East out of 8-10. They can run Toronto out of a gym when they are at their absolute best.
Over/Under: Under 212.5
The defense is what will decide this game. And though the last paragraph mentions Chicago’s scoring, Toronto likes to muck things up.
The game is not going to be pretty by any stretch, and all of their starters will accumulate 35-40 minutes on the floor.
Fatigue is going to kick in, and there may be a 2-3 minute stretch at some juncture where neither team scores a single point.
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