The Chicago Bulls face off against the Los Angeles Lakers in NBA betting action on Thursday. Both sides are in ninth place in their respective conference standings, with the Bulls posting a 21-24 record and the Lakers having a 22-23 mark.
These teams clashed last month in Chicago, with the Bulls winning by double-digits without Zach LaVine. LaVine is sidelined once again, and NBA odds are expecting the Lakers to get revenge at home, as books have them installed as 4.5-point favorites. Here are my best free NBA picks and predictions for the Bulls vs. Lakers on January 25.
Bulls vs Lakers odds
Bulls vs Lakers predictions
The Chicago Bulls cruised to a 124-108 victory when these teams previously faced off on December 20 in Chicago. Guard Zach LaVine was sidelined by a foot injury in that game, and while he returned briefly this month, he's back on the shelf again, this time with an ankle injury.
That said, while LaVine is second on the team in scoring (19.5 points per game), his impact on the team might be overstated. LaVine is a poor defender, and Coby White has thrived in his absence averaging 22.3 ppg, 5.9 apg, and 5.9 rpg in the 20 games that LaVine has missed this season. Keep in mind that the Bulls are 11-9 straight up and 14-6 against the spread in 20 games without LaVine this season.
The Los Angeles Lakers are 16-8 at home with a net rating of +4.6 this season. However, most of those wins came earlier this season, and they're 6-6 at home with a net rating of -0.5 since winning the In-Season Tournament in December.
The Lakers are second in the NBA in fastbreak points per game (17.5) and points per game in the paint (55.2). That said, the Bulls hold opponents to a league-low 43.7 ppg in the paint, and since they rarely turn the ball over, they don't allow many points in transition either.
The Bulls' weakness on defense lies in their ability to defend the arc, but the Lakers aren't built to take advantage of that since they rank just 29th in 3-pointers made per game (10.8) and 21st in 3-point percentage (35.8%).
On the other side of the ball, the Bulls have been shooting the ball better lately. They have an offensive rating of 118.7 with an effective field goal percentage of 57.9% over the last two weeks, while those numbers were at just 111.7 and 52% before.
With the Bulls having the ability to slow down L.A's up-tempo attack and not showing much of a decline without LaVine, take them with the points here.
My best bet: Bulls +4.5 (-110 at bet365)
Bulls vs Lakers same-game parlay
Bulls +4.5
Patrick Williams Over 10.5 points
Andre Drummond Over 0.5 steals
Every Bulls starter scores at a higher clip when LaVine is sidelined. That includes Patrick Williams, who is averaging 12.8 points on 10.2 field goal attempts per game in contests that LaVine has missed. In the last two games, Williams has dropped 13 and 15 points despite shooting just 39.1% from the field across both contests.
Andre Drummond is known as one of the most productive rebounders in the NBA, but it might shock you to know that he's second on the Bulls with 1.2 steals per game this season. Drummond has had at least one steal in 33 of 45 games this season, and the Lakers are 29th in the NBA in opponent steals per defensive play.
While the backup big man doesn't see much of the floor when opposing teams roll with a small-ball lineup, this is a Lakers frontcourt with plenty of size, so expect Drummond to log enough minutes to come away with a steal.
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Bulls vs Lakers spread and Over/Under analysis
This line hit the board with the Lakers installed as 5.5-point home faves, with the Over/Under at 226. The spread has slimmed to -4.5 while the total has ticked up to 228.5.
The Bulls are coming off a 115-113 loss on the road in Phoenix on Monday. They're still 6-3 SU and ATS in their last nine games but need to start playing better on the road, where they're 7-14 with a net rating of -6.4.
It's been a roller-coaster season for the Lakers, who started the season off strong but went through a major slump after winning the In-Season Tournament in December. They've since turned into a .500 team going 5-5 SU and ATS in their last 10 games.
Bulls vs Lakers betting trend to know
The Bulls are 14-6 ATS in 20 games without Zach LaVine this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Bulls vs. Lakers.
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Bulls vs Lakers game info
| Location: | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA |
| Date: | Thursday, January 25, 2024 |
| Tip-off: | 10:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | NBC Sports Chicago+, Spectrum SportsNet |
Bulls vs Lakers latest injuries
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