Bulls Seeing Red vs New-Look Raptors

We have a Bulls vs Raptors preview for Thursday night’s important Eastern Conference clash.

The Raptors lost Pascal Siakam at the trade deadline, significantly hurting their chances of success in 2024.

Our NBA predictions today expect a close game, and the sportsbook agrees, with the Bulls only being -2 favorites.

Time to Knuckle Down

The Bulls have a tough time playing consistent basketball, so they have a 19-23 record.

They have three wins from their last five NBA games, including wins over Charlotte, Houston, and San Antonio. The recent losses came to the Warriors and Cavaliers, so there are good signs in Chicago.

Having DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine on the team is enough to see them make the playoffs. Their NBA scores and odds should be better than four games below .500, so it’s time to knuckle down and play better.

They are currently 9.5 games behind the Milwaukee Bucks, but there is still plenty of time to make up ground.

Bettors haven’t had too hard of a time backing the Bulls. They are 20-21-1 against the spread, so despite being costly with moneyline betting odds, they are a better bet than some NBA teams.

What’s Next for Raptors?

Trading Siakam sent a strong statement to anyone backing the Raptors in 2024.

Our Bulls vs Raptors preview looks at the impact of trading their best NBA player, which could have a positive impact in a few years, but as for now, it’s tragic.

We can’t see the Raptors doing much without Siakam, which is why we’re surprised by the +2 line with bet online markets.

The Raptors are in the middle of a four-game losing streak, so they abandoned their NBA playoff hopes following that.

To their credit, their recent losses came to the Lakers, Clippers, Jazz, and Celtics. They are four of the most in-form teams in the NBA, so we’re being a little harsh.

They won the most recent meeting against the Bulls 121-108, which came at Scotiabank Arena. However, without Siakam, it’s tough to get excited by the line.

The offense now falls on Scottie Barnes, who doesn’t have much experience to call on. That’s another worry ahead of this Eastern Conference clash, which could define the attitude of the Raptors going forward.

Bulls Ready to Charge

We can’t turn down the -2 line for the Bulls, and although they’re only 6-13 on the road, they have plenty of upside.

Big things should be on the horizon for the Bulls as they look to get back to .500. We believe that can get there over the next few weeks, starting with a win over the Raptors.

Our Bulls vs Raptors preview recommends taking the -2 line before it moves, and we think it will move close to tip-off.

The total is 224.5, and we’re taking the under. The Bulls are good enough to score around 110 points, but we don’t expect the Raptors to achieve anywhere close to that.

It could be a classic low-scoring contest from the East rivals, who scored only 207 points in their first meeting in October.

For NBA odds, games today NBA, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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