A new era of Toronto Raptors basketball is officially here. The last contributing member of the 2019 championship team is now gone as Pascal Siakam was traded to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.
Losing Siakam will certainly have an impact, however, the new era got off to a great start as the Raptors cooled off the Heat with a blowout win at home. The question is: will the Raps be able to keep up that level of play for the second straight night?
Toronto welcomes the Chicago Bulls to Scotiabank Arena for the second half of a back-to-back on Thursday. The Bulls have struggled with consistency this season, but NBA odds are making the Bulls a short road favorite here after going 0-3 ATS in their last three games overall.
Can Chicago snap the skid and cover this short chalk, or will Toronto claw its way to another victory? I break down this Eastern Conference matchup and bring you the best bet in my NBA picks and predictions for Bulls vs. Raptors on Thursday, January 18.
Bulls vs Raptors odds
Bulls vs Raptors predictions
After years of speculation, it finally happened. Pascal Siakam was traded to the Indiana Pacers, and the final key piece of the Toronto Raptors 2019 title team has moved on.
But the new era of Raptors basketball got off to what I would say was a surprisingly good start. Toronto doused the Miami Heat last night, winning 121-97 as 3-point underdogs despite being shorthanded. The win halted a four-game losing streak for the Raps, and there were a lot of positives to take away from that matchup.
Toronto has been one of the better assist teams in the NBA this season, but the ball movement felt like it was at another level on Wednesday night as the team recorded 34 assists on 45 made field goals. That ball movement helped the Raptors go 20 of 38 (53%) from 3-point range.
One player who looked really comfortable was Scottie Barnes. The third-year man out of Florida State put up 20 points while dishing out eight assists, five rebounds, two steals, and a block.
Barnes has become a much better playmaker in Year 3 and is averaging 5.6 assists per game this season. With more shooters on the floor around him, allowing him to drive and dish those assist opportunities could go up. Barnes should have a great chance to keep racking up the assists tonight against the Chicago Bulls.
The Bulls come into this one well-rested, having not played since Monday, but consistency has been a real problem for them all season long, particularly on the defensive end of the floor.
Chicago ranks a middling 15th in defensive rating but they’ve got some weird numbers to go along with that. The Bulls allow the fifth-fewest made field goals per game but allow the most 3-point field goals per game at the same time.
Part of the reason for that is the Bulls are getting burned by the extra pass. The Bulls rank 23rd in opponent assists per game.
I’m betting on the Scottie Barnes odds that he keeps dishing out the dimes in this matchup. He’s gone Over 5.5 assists in five of his last eight games and I wouldn’t be surprised if his assists average bumps up with the way the roster is constructed now. It also doesn’t hurt that we are getting a +130 price tag, and our Covers NBA player props projections have Scottie at 6.1 assists for this matchup.
My best bet: Scottie Barnes 6+ assists (+130 at PointsBet)
Bulls vs Raptors same-game parlay
Scottie Barnes 6+ assists
Immanuel Quickley 3+ 3s
DeMar DeRozan 20+ points
As per usual, our same-game parlay tips off with my best bet, which for this Eastern Conference clash is Scottie Barnes to dish out 6+ assists. I wouldn’t be shocked if Barnes kicks one of those assists out to Immanuel Quickley to hit a three.
Quickley has already been a great fit next to Barnes and looks like he is flourishing in the Raptors’ system. He’s also been on fire from downtown. Quickley is draining 47.3% of his 6.1 3s per game as a member of the Raptors and has hit three or more five times in his nine games with his new team. With the Bulls allowing the most made 3s per game in the NBA, let’s add Quickley to hit a trio of treys tonight.
And while we say goodbye to one Raptors great, a former one comes to town. DeMar DeRozan is averaging 22 points per game this season on 46.4% shooting. He’s hit a bit of a rough patch but we all know what DeRozan is capable of at this point. He should bounce back vs. a Raptors team that ranks 25th in defensive rating since the start of January. Close this SGP out with him to go for 20+ points.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Bulls vs Raptors spread and Over/Under analysis
The Raptors opened this Eastern Conference matchup as 2.5-point home underdogs and have seen the early action with the line moving down to Toronto +2 as of Thursday afternoon. These teams have played twice already this season, but the Raptors will have four different starters this time around, so you can basically throw those results out the window.
The Raps are underdogs here for a few reasons. First and foremost, they are playing the second half of a back-to-back and the Bulls have a significant rest advantage as they have not played since Monday. Second, despite an impressive performance in holding Miami to just 97 points, this new-look Raptors team has generally struggled at the defensive end of the floor.
Toronto ranks 25th in defensive rating since the start of January (when the OG Anunoby trade happened) while allowing the fifth-most made 3-pointers per game over that period.
But as I said earlier, Chicago has been inconsistent. The Bulls come into this game having lost two of their last three games, going 0-3 ATS in the process, and they may not be the team that can take advantage of a shaky Raptors defense. Chicago ranks 24th in offensive rating and 27th in effective field goal percentage this season.
On top of that, the Bulls have not been a good road team, going just 6-13 SU and 8-11 ATS. The only real edge the Bulls have here is rest. Otherwise, this Raptors team has been playing better in 2024. I’m staying away from the spread here.
Meanwhile, the total hit the board at 225 and it’s the Over seeing the early money, bumping the number up to 227 as of Thursday afternoon.
The Raptors' much-improved offense and leaky defense have resulted in the Over going 6-3 in their first nine games this month. While the Bulls' offense results in many ebbs and flows when it comes to totals, and are 4-1 to the Over in their last five overall.
Bulls vs Raptors betting trend to know
The Over is 6-3 in the nine games since the Raptors traded OG Anunoby to the Knicks. Find more NBA betting trends for Bulls vs. Raptors.
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Bulls vs Raptors game info
| Location: | Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON |
| Date: | Thursday, January 18, 2024 |
| Tip-off: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TNT |
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