Bulls vs Raptors Odds, Lines & Picks (Feb. 28)

• Toronto is a 4-point favorite over Chicago in the Bulls vs Raptors odds on Tuesday
• Fred VanVleet is expected to return after missing the last three games for personal reasons
• Get the latest Bulls vs Raptors odds here, plus injury news and best bets

Fresh off a pair of blowout victories, Chicago travels to Toronto on Tuesday to take on the Raptors (30-32, 11-19 away). The Bulls (28-33, 10-20 away) began the week half a game back of a Play-In Tournament berth, while Toronto sits in ninth, 1.5 games ahead of Chicago.

Online sportsbooks are expecting the Raps to further distance themselves from the Bulls, as they opened the home squad as the chalk in Tuesday’s NBA odds.

Bulls vs Raptors Odds

Toronto is currently a 4-point favorite, in a game without a total as of Monday evening. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 pm ET at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON, and will mark the third and final meeting between the two teams this season.

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Odds as of February 27 at DraftKings Sportsbook. 

Bulls vs Raptors Betting Analysis

The Bulls and Raps have split the first two meetings so far, with each team defending home court back in November. Toronto had reeled off four straight wins heading into Sunday, but ran into a Cavaliers squad that just couldn’t miss.

The Raps fell 118-93 to the top-11 NBA Championship odds contender, although they had a few things working against them. It was the second half of a back-to-back, and they were also missing starting point guard Fred VanVleet. The 29-year-old sat out his third straight game due to personal reasons, but he is expected to return on Tuesday.

Fred VanVleet (personal) not listed on injury report for Tuesday.

— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) February 27, 2023

Toronto’s 11-19 road record leaves little to be desired, but they’ve been a different team inside their own building. The Raptors are 19-13 at home this season. They’ve won five of six at Scotiabank Arena, and have covered in eight of their past 11 home dates.

Toronto has been a run of the mill offense for the bulk of the season, but lately the defense has come to life – Sunday’s game in Cleveland not withstanding. The Raps rank fifth in defensive rating over the past nine games, yielding just 109 points on average per 100 possessions.

They’ve held the Bulls to a 107.5 point average over their two meetings, and Chicago’s recent offensive form is quite underwhelming.

Chicago ranks 29th out of 30 teams in offensive rating over the past eight games. They’ve cleared 105 points only twice during that stretch, but fortunately their defense has picked up the slack. The Bulls rank first in the NBA in defensive rating over the past eight games.

https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1630024922750656519

They’ve held back-to-back opponents below 88 points, and four of the past six teams they’ve faced have failed to exceed 100 points. They recently signed shut down defender Patrick Beverley to the roster, which significantly improves their backcourt defense.

Offensively, Chicago is relying heavily on the trio of Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and former Raptor DeMar DeRozan. The trio accounted for all but six of the points scored by Bulls starters in Sunday’s 102-82 win over Washington. DeRozan poured in a game high 29, which was his highest amount in nearly a month as he continues to play through a hip injury.

Toronto on the other hand, is much more balanced as six players average at least 14 points per night, led by Pascal Siakam’s 25. VanVleet averages 20 points and seven assists per game, production that was sorely missing in the Raps’ last two outings.

Bulls vs Raptors Predictions

Toronto produced just 95 and 93 points in those games, shooting 37.5% and 38.7% respectively in each outing. VanVleet is the team’s best three-point shooter, and number one distributor. He’ll create more easy looks for his teammates, which should result in better efficiency.

The deadline addition of Jakob Poeltl has been massive so far, and he’ll be instrumental in helping slow down Vucevic inside. The Raps are 4-2 since acquiring the 7-footer, with Poeltl racking up 55 rebounds, 12 blocks and 10 steals in his last five starts alone.

Bulls vs Raptors H2H Results This Season

Also working in Toronto’s favor, is Chicago’s putrid road performance. The Bulls are 10-20 away from home, dropping eight of their last nine games as visitors. Chicago has an average margin of defeat of seven points in those nine outings, losing five times by double-digits.

Pick: Toronto Raptors -4 (-110)