It’s the NBA Play-In Tournament, and the Raptors will host the Bulls on Wednesday, April 12. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 pm ET while airing on ESPN. The Raptors enter as 5-point favorites with the total set at 215.5. The winner will face the Miami Heat for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. The loser goes home. How will this one play out? Let’s dive into the Raptors vs. Bulls predictions below.
Raptors vs. Bulls Odds
- Spread: Raptors -5
- Total: 215.5
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. New to FanDuel? Check out our FanDuel Sportsbook Review to find out how to redeem a $1,000 risk-free bet!
Game Info
- Date: Wednesday, April 12
- Time: 7 pm ET
- Location: Scotiabank Arena – Toronto, ON
- TV: ESPN
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Raptors Betting Trends
- Raptors are 15-5-1 ATS in their last 21 home games.
- Under is 5-1 in Raptors last 6 games following a straight up win.
- Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.
Bulls Betting Trends
- Bulls are 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 road games.
- Over is 3-1-1 in Bulls last 5 games following a ATS win.
- Bulls are 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
Raptors vs. Bulls Predictions
The Raptors won the regular season series between these two sides by two games to one. However, two of those contests were played in November, and these are different teams in mid-April.
Truth be told, these sides are pretty even. The Bulls have been solid as a road underdog this season, covering the spread in 55.6% of those games. They also hold a 56% cover rate against the Eastern Conference this season. The Raptors have been solid as a home favorite too, covering at a 63.6% rate.
So what gives? The Raptors are stellar at home, but this spread seems inflated. Toronto ranks 28th in effective field goal rate at 51.7%. We saw the Miami Heat (rank 26th in effective field goal rate) fail to keep up with the Atlanta Hawks in the Play-In game last night. Perhaps a similar situation could play out in this one.
Chicago is the better defensive team too, ranking sixth in defensive efficiency compared to 10th for the Raptors. Let’s take the Bulls to cover the spread here, as they are live to win the game outright.
The Pick: Bulls +5.5 | -112 at FanDuel Sportsbook
