The Chicago Bulls will face the Toronto Raptors on Thursday, January 18, at the Scotiabank Arena. This will be the third meeting between the two teams this season. Both have one victory each. The Bulls are coming off a 109-91 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday. They are currently in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. On the other hand, the Raptors are coming off a big 121-97 win over the Miami Heat.
Preview
The Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors have 1-1 wins from their two matchups this season. The Bulls won the first matchup 104-103 in overtime on October 27, while the Raptors won 121-108 in the next matchup on November 24. The upcoming game will be the 105th meeting between the two franchises. The Bulls lead the all-time head-to-head matchup 56-48. They have won six of their last 10 games against Toronto.
Starting lineup
The Bulls have six players on their injury list, including Patrick Williams, who is questionable for Thursday’s game. If Williams does not receive clearance before the game, the team will have to use the lineup of Coby White, Zach LaVine, Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic. The Toronto Raptors, on the other hand, have five players on the injury report. They will likely stick with the starting lineup, including Immanuel Quickley, Gary Trent Jr., RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes and Jontay Porter.
Betting tips & Prediction
DeRozan has an over/under of 20.5 points against the Raptors, which is down from his season average of 22.0 points per game. If you look at the last six games, it will be better to bet on DeRozan to go under, as he has not scored more than 21 points in five of his last six. Zach LaVine is averaging 20.0 points per game this season and is favored to advance despite scoring 10 and 17 points in his last two games. He can have a big game in the next contest, so you can bet on him scoring at least 20 points.
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The Chicago Bulls are slight favorites to win over the Raptors despite a heavy loss in their last game. The Bulls have plenty of rest before the game, while the Raptors will be playing the second game back-to-back. According to oddsmakers, the Bulls will win and cover the spread.
