Toronto Raptors vs Chicago Bulls Predictions and Odds Jan 26
Toronto Raptors vs Chicago Bulls Betting Preview
WagerTalk NBA handicapper Tony Finn offers his Toronto Raptors vs Chicago Bulls betting preview for Wednesday, January 26. At the time of posting, the Bulls have opened as a 4-point home favorite over the road Raptors, with the total sitting at 219 points.
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| Wednesday, January 26 | NBA Betting Notes |
|---|---|
| Point Spread: | Toronto Raptors +4 vs Chicago Bulls |
| Total: | 219 Points |
| Game Time: | 8:10pm ET / 5:10pm PT |
| Arena: | United Center in Chicago, IL |
| TV: | SportsNet One |
Toronto Raptors vs Chicago Bulls Analysis
The Toronto Raptors (23-22, 8th in East) and the Chicago Bulls (29-17, 2nd in East) are set to play an Eastern Conference matchup at the United Center in downtown Chicago on Wednesday night, with tipoff scheduled for 7:10pm ET.
The Bulls sharp-shooter DeMar DeRozan is expected to return to active duty after missing the team’s final game of their recent road trip against the Thunder in Oklahoma City. DeRozan ranks sixth in scoring in the NBA, averaging 26.3 points per game.
Toronto’s most valuable player, Fred VanVleet, averaging 21.7 points and seven assists, has been ruled out due to a knee injury. Pascal Siakam will be asked to help pick up the slack with VanVleet inactive tonight. The Raptors’ power forward is the Raptors’ second-leading scorer averaging 21.3 points per game.
Tonight’s contest on the United Center court will be the second of four regular-season matchups between the two Eastern Conference rivals. The Bulls won the first event registering a 111-108 win in late October. DeRozan’s 26-points helped lead the Bulls to victory.
Raptors Take One Step Forward and Two Steps Back
Toronto is back above .500 with their Tuesday 125-113 victory over a competent Charlotte crew. The win assisted in easing the pain of the Raptors’ five losses across their last seven contests.
There is no rest for the weary as the Raptors took the red-eye from Toronto to Chicago early this morning for the second leg of a back-to-back. Tonight’s matchup opens a three-game road swing for the Raptors, who will be without their best player for the second straight game.
After missing a half-dozen games to an ankle injury, Gary Trent Jr. has returned to full strength. Trent led the Raptors with a season-high 32 points, and Pascal Siakam just missed a triple-double with 24 points, 12 assists, and nine rebounds.
“It gives us a lift,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse noted about Trent’s season-high in points scored at the team’s post-game presser. “It gives us such a confident lift all over the place when he can go down there and generate that kind of offense so confidently and so repetitively like that,” added Nurse.
The Raptors injury report finds rookie Scottie Barnes (wrist) being declared day-to-day while center Khem Birch (nose), Goran Dragic (personal), VanVleet (knee), and David Johnson (health and safety protocols) all officially being ruled out for tonight’s game.
Injuries Force Bulls to Reinvent Themselves
The Bulls will need to pay more attention to the minutes of their primary cast of characters. DeRozan was rested in Monday’s game in OKC. The 32-year old DeRozan has played and started in 42 of Chicago’s 46 games this season. The veteran averages 35 minutes per game and could be asked to add to that per game minute total, with Alex Caruso (wrist) and Lonzo Ball (knee) both expected to miss extended time to their current injuries.
Carusso and Ball have been ruled out for tonight’s matchup against the Raptors. Patrick Williams (left wrist) and Derrick Jones Jr (knee) will also be inactive. In addition, the playing status of Tyler Cook (eye) and Nikola Vucevic (knee) is designated as day-to-day.
Head coach Billy Donovan will earn his salary in the final 36 games of the regular season. The injury list for the Bulls is long, and that is what the remainder of the regular season will feel like for Donovan in his quest to navigate the injured and keep the healthy intact across the final 2-plus months of the regular slate.
The Bulls had dropped five of six games before Monday’s visit and victory in Oklahoma City. The return of Zach LaVine, playing for the first time since injuring his knee in a January 14 loss at Golden State, scored 23 points in the victory over the Thunder.
The production of rookie Ayo Dosunmu will make a difference in where the Bulls are slotted following the team’s April 10 regular-season finale. Dosunmu scored a career-high 24 points and received just his 8th start at the point Monday.
“To get this win is big to get back in the right direction,” Dosunmu told the media following Monday night’s win. “Anytime you get a win when you’ve been losing close games, that always goes well. To get Zach back and Javonte (Green) back, that is a sign in the right direction, and hopefully, we continue this momentum and get back to our winning ways.”
Toronto Raptors vs Chicago Bulls Prediction
It wasn’t surprising that Circa Race and Sportsbook in downtown Las Vegas saw money move in on this Eastern Conference event. The Bulls have completely revamped their defensive scheme with the many injuries they are playing through. In addition, the return of Gary Trent adds to the Raptors’ need for scorers inside of the team’s first two rotations.
The Raptors are 6-0 against the spread across their last six games played on no rest, while the Bulls are 2-5-1 against the spread in their last eight games as a favorite, and it isn’t because this Chicago roster can’t find the bottom of the net. The Bulls’ struggles are on the defensive end of the court.
WagerTalk’s pick to click tonight at the United Center is a play Over the Total.
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Toronto Raptors vs Chicago Bulls Preview from GoldSheet
Chicago has won and covered 4 straight against Toronto in a streaky series that’s seen the recent trend preceded by a 12-game Raptor win skein and that run came after the Bulls had taken 11 in a row.
Chicago should have top scorer G DeMar DeRozan back in the lineup after he was a late scratch for rest at Oklahoma City in the 2nd night of a back-to-backs for the Bulls, who snagged a cover against the late line reflecting DeRozan’s absence and would’ve covered the openers if not for a 28-foot 3-pointer by backup Thunder C Mike Muscala at the buzzer that cut the lead from 111-107 to 111-110.
Chicago has F Zach LaVine (25 ppg, 49% FGs TY) back in action and expect Bull C Nikola Vucevic to play through his knee pain and put in his day’s work. Chicago PG Coby White shooting 46% at the United Center on the season and has scored 15 ppg as a starter this season subbing for currently injured Lonzo Ball or Alex Caruso.
Totals note: the last four straight between these two played in Chicago have gone “under” the totals and the Raptors have gone “under” in five straight road games.
NBA Stat Sheet
Each day, WagerTalk handicapper Ralph Michaels puts together his NBA Stat Sheet, which offers a head-to-head comparison for how teams are performing in a number of key areas heading into a game. Check out Wednesday’s sheet, with notes on tonight’s Toronto Raptors vs Chicago Bulls contest.
NBA Betting Strategy
Ride the hot and fade the cold. Which advanced stats should you be paying the most attention to? Kelly Stewart sat down with Teddy Covers and Skee Profit to discuss some of their favorite NBA betting tips.
NBA Odds Screen
WagerTalk’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the NBA point spreads, moneylines, first half lines and betting percentages for all of Wednesday’s NBA games, including this Toronto Raptors vs Chicago Bulls showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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