Bulls vs Raptors Predictions, Odds & Spread (April 12)

• It’s win or your season’s over when the Bulls take on the Raptors on Wednesday, April 12th
• The Raptors had a 27-14 record at home this season, while the Bulls went 18-23 on the road
• You can find the Bulls vs Raptors odds below, as well as our best bet and prediction

Win or start getting ready for next season. Those are the only options available to the Bulls (40-42, 18-23 away) and Raptors (41-41, 27-14 home) when they meet in the No. 9 vs No. 10 seed play-in tournament game on Wednesday, April 12th from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

Tipoff for this do or die affair is set for 7:00 pm ET and will be broadcast on ESPN. The winner of this game will go on to face the winner between the Hawks and Heat on Friday night for a chance to play the Bucks in a first round series in the NBA playoff bracket.

Many interesting storylines will follow this game in the lead up to the action including DeMar DeRozan getting the opportunity to end his former team’s season. We provide the Bulls vs Raptors odds below, as well as some analysis leading to our best bet and pick for this game.

Bulls vs Raptors Odds

While the point spread has remained fairly steady with the Raptors pegged as 5-point favorites, the over/under has dropped from an opening total of 217.5 to its current number of 214.5.

Chicago had the 5th best defensive rating throughout the season in the Association, while the Raptors sat just outside the top 10 in that category.

Odds as of April 11th from FanDuel. Unlock the FanDuel promo code to bet on this game.

DeRozan Can Get Sweet Revenge vs Raptors

Like the Raptors, the Bulls took a step back this season, going from 46 wins last year to 40 this campaign. However, they turned it up when they needed to, going 12-8 since the beginning of March to beat out Indiana and Washington comfortably for the final spot in the play-in tournament.

One player who definitely will have some extra motivation for Chicago in this game is DeMar DeRozan. In his 2nd year with the Bulls, the shooting guard averaged 24.7 points per game and would love nothing more than to stick it to the team he spent the first nine seasons of his career with, before they dealt him for a package including Kawhi Leonard prior to winning their first championship.

He was the face of the franchise, and remains one of the most believed players in team history and then he was traded. Now DeMar DeRozan has a chance to end the Raptors season. If only there was a word for that: https://t.co/0yIxukG4hw

— Michael Grange (@michaelgrange) April 11, 2023

While the Bulls only won 18 games as visitors this year, they sported a terrific 8-2 record on the road since the beginning of March. Since the NBA trade deadline, Chicago has made great strides on defense, posting a 112.8 defensive rating, 2nd best in the league over that span of time.

Turbulence Surrounds Raptors Entering Play-In Tournament

This Raptors organization appears in disarray as they head into the most vital time of the year. Coach Nick Nurse has basically indicated he’s on his way out. Fred VanVleet has a player option next season and could follow him out the door after shooting a career-worst 34 percent from beyond the arc this season.

wrote about what nick nurse's refusal to answer for the thing he brought up in the first place signals for an already miserable raptors team https://t.co/ol07DipCO9

— Katie Heindl (@wtevs) April 4, 2023

There are rumors of dissension and discord between the coach and many of his top players, as they’ve slipped from 5th last year to 9th this campaign in the Eastern Conference. They took the season series 2-1 against the Bulls as the home team was victorious in every contest.

Bulls vs Raptors Results This Season

Most rational thinkers feel home court will be a big advantage for Toronto in this one. They have some of the most rabid fans in the NBA and won 27 games at home this season, a mark topped by only eight teams in the league. If the players can maintain focus, playing as hosts should give them a decided edge on the Bulls.

Bulls vs Raptors Prediction

Both of these teams own strong defensive units, but if you look at the way each side is playing heading into this contest, it’s the lower seeded Bulls who look like they’re peaking at the right time. While the Raps deserve to be home favorites in the NBA odds, we envision a close contest.

DeRozan is looking for his full circle moment by sticking it to his former team and combined with Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, he has the supporting cast to score an upset here. Our prediction is that at the very least, this game is extremely tight and stays within five points once the clock runs down.

Pick: Chicago Bulls +5 (-110)