Toronto Raptors vs Chicago Bulls betting tips and predictions for Wednesday’s NBA play-in game on ESPN. Winner takes all tonight in Toronto as the Raptors and Bulls square off in an elimination play-in game. Read on for all our free predictions and betting tips.
Toronto Raptors
We already witnessed one shocker in the play-in tournament last night as the Atlanta Hawks beat the Miami Heat, so how likely is a similar scenario tonight in Toronto? Well, the Raptors won the regular season series 2-1 against the Bulls, they head into tonight’s game in really solid home form having won 11 of their last 12 at Scotiabank Arena.
Against the Bulls in this arena they are 9-2 SU in the last 11 played, and with both Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby being cleared to play chances are they will beat Chicago once again. Not a lot of teams can brag with a 25-15-1 ATS record in home games this year, the Raptors are one of them. After closing out the regular season with 6 wins in their last 9 games, it’s pretty clear why they are 5-point favorites here.
Chicago Bulls
Not much went Chicago’s way during the regular season as they were hampered by injuries at the worst possible times throughout the year. They are somewhat healthy heading into tonight’s game, obviously with the exception of Lonzo Ball. The Bulls’ hopes lie in the fact that they’ve won 8 of 10 road games coming into this one and their 2 best players DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine both capped off the year with a few stellar performances.
DeRozan in particular will be motivated as he goes up against the team that got rid of him a couple of years ago, he always takes these match-ups personally which brings out the best of him. Chicago does have a positive record in head-to-head meetings going 7-3 SU/ATS in the last 10 played.
It’s going to be an entertaining game and a close one if I may add. Defense played a huge part in all 3 meetings during the regular season and that should be the case here again. I’ll side with the home team here, they are 27-14 SU in games played at Scotiabank Arena after all. Take Toronto.
Toronto Raptors vs Chicago Bulls Predictions & Odds
The highest point total in the 3 meetings this year was 217 points and that was in game 1 which was played back in early November. In the most recent meeting played in early March the game finished with just 202 points, so there is a pattern developing here. The last 5 of 6 meetings have gone under the total and the oddsmakers have set a very modest 213.5 projected total for tonight’s game.
Chicago has gone under the total in 6 of 7 vs East teams and in 6 straight vs teams from the Atlantic Division. Same goes for the Bulls who have gone under vs 5 of the last 7 teams from the Central Division. An average of just 218.5 points per game have been scored during the last 10 meetings and with this being an elimination game every possession will count so I think both teams will be sharp defensively here. I’ll back the under in this one.
