The red-hot Toronto Raptors welcome the Chicago Bulls to Scotiabank Arena in tonight's hoop action.
Toronto has been playing elite defense over the last couple of weeks, and my Raptors vs. Bulls predictions bet on that continuing.
Here are my free NBA picks for this Eastern Conference showdown on January 31.
Raptors vs Bulls prediction
My Raptors pick
Bulls team total Under 114.5 (-115 at PointsBet Canada)
My analysis
We got ourselves a winner on Wednesday night when we bet on the Toronto Raptors to hold the Wizards below their team total of 112.5. It was never in doubt with the Raps limiting Washington to just 82 points on 39% shooting, and I'm backing this vastly improved Toronto defense again tonight.
The Raptors are playing their best ball of the season and have gone 7-1 straight up and against the spread over their last eight games. That turnaround has been sparked by lockdown defense, with Toronto leading the NBA in defensive rating over that span.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls are just 26th in the league in offensive rating over their last eight contests.
The Bulls are coming off a 122-100 loss to the Celtics, in which they shot just 40% from the floor. Chicago was missing leading scorer Zach LaVine (24.0 points and 4.5 assists per game) in that contest, and he'll be out tonight as well due to personal reasons.
Besides LaVine, Chicago doesn't have many players capable of creating their own shot. The scoring burden will fall to center Nikola Vucevic (19.8 ppg), but the Raps have done a great job of defending inside lately, allowing just 43.4 ppg in the paint over their last 10 games.
It seems like books still haven't adjusted for the significant strides that Toronto has made on the defensive end of the floor. That makes the Under on Chicago's team total tough to turn down — especially with LaVine sidelined.
Raptors vs Bulls same-game parlay
Bulls team total Under 114.5
Immanuel Quickley Under 5.5 assists
Jakob Poeltl Over 13.5 points
Immanuel Quickley is questionable tonight after an eight-game absence, but I expect his minutes and usage rate to dip.
Toronto's defensive turnaround was ignited by Davion Mitchell entering the lineup for Quickley. I expect Mitchell to continue to get plenty of burn, which will limit Quickley's ability to rack up assists.
Jakob Poeltl is averaging 14.6 ppg on 61.6 FG%, and he should see plenty of the floor with Toronto likely matching him up against Vucevic. Chicago plays at the third-fastest pace in the NBA and struggles to defend inside, allowing a league-worst 55.9 ppg in the paint.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Raptors vs Bulls odds
Raptors vs Bulls live odds
Raptors vs Bulls opening odds
- Spread: Toronto -4.5 | Chicago +4.5
- Moneyline: Toronto -175 | Chicago +145
- Over/Under: Over 233.5 | Under 233.5
Odds courtesy of PointsBet Canada.
Raptors vs Bulls spread and Over/Under analysis
- Early money has come in on the Bulls and the Under, slimming the spread from Toronto -4.5 to -3.5 and bringing the total down to 232.5.
- Toronto is 16-7-1 ATS at home this season for a 69.6% cover rate.
- The Bulls are 2-8 SU and 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games..
- These teams previously faced off in December, with the Bulls winning 122-121 in Toronto. LaVine was also sidelined for that game, but the Raps were missing Scottie Barnes.
Raptors vs Bulls trend
The Raptors are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games and the Under has cashed in six of those contests. Find more NBA betting trends for Raptors vs. Bulls.
How to watch Raptors vs Bulls
| Location | Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON |
| Date | Friday, 1-31-2025 |
| Tip-off | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | SN1 |
Raptors vs Bulls latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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