Bulls vs Raptors Preview
The Toronto Raptors will face the Chicago Bulls in the play-in tournament on April 12 in Toronto. The Raptors and Bulls will play for a chance to go up against the loser of the Atlanta Hawks vs Miami Heat game on April 11 for the 8th seed and a trip to the playoffs, a first round series against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Raptors are the favorite, they currently have -193 money line odds to win the game outright on Bet99. The underdog Bulls have +160 odds to win.
The point spread is -5 for the Raptors at +100 and +5 for the Bulls at -120. The Raptors and Bulls played against each other three times in the regular season, the Raptors won 2 of the three. Last season the Raptors were 1-3 against the Bulls. The over/under for total points is 216.5. The highest point total during their head to head matchups this season was 217.
All odds are subject to change.
Toronto Raptors (41-41)
The Raptors started the season with a heavy emphasis on playing players who are around 6’9. Many in the Raptors fan base called the phenomenon vision 6’9. After a rocky start by their standards. Masai Ujiri and the Raptors tried to upgrade the team at the trade deadline by acquiring Jakob Poeltl. Losing to the 10th seed in a play-in game could be a disaster for the franchise considering this. Nick Nurse and the Raptors might be motivated to win the play-in game for this reason alone.
The Raptors are 15-11 since adding Poeltl to the roster. The Bulls have a lot of players with playoff experience, but the Raptors have four NBA champions on their roster and a championship coach. This could be one of the reasons why the Raptors are the favourite on NBA betting sites despite the rumors about frustration among the players and Nick Nurse’s future with the team being uncertain, according to reports.
The Chicago Bulls (40-42)
DeMar DeRozan could have some extra motivation to defeat his former team, and the Bulls might be motivated to get the win for him. Defeating the Raptors in a play-in game, the franchise that traded DeRozan and then won the NBA championship, might not be the biggest accomplishment in the world, but it should be better than losing. DeRozan may not feel this way, but it’s possible.
The Bulls played the entire regular season without Lonzo Ball in the lineup. DeRozan, Zach Lavine, and Nikola Vucevic are all expected to play on the bright side. The Bulls signed Patrick Beverly in February, adding a veteran point guard with playoff experience. The Bulls roster has a bunch of guys who have playoff experience, including NBA champion Alex Caruso and Andre Drummond. Last season, the Bulls were 3-1 against the Raptors.
