The Los Angeles Lakers visit the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, and if you’re looking to do some last-minute betting research, you’re in luck! We’ll give you the latest point spread, money line odds and over/under number, as well as the information you’ll need to make the smartest bet.
After scraping by the Indiana Pacers 120-119 on Wednesday thanks to a last-second tip-in by LeBron James, the Lakers will head to Illinois looking to avenge the embarrassing 146-115 defeat the Bulls handed them this past Saturday. They have now been at full strength for three straight games, and with a 44-28 record, they’re in fourth place in the Western Conference. The second seed could still be in play, as they trail the second-place Houston Rockets by just 2.5 games and two games in the loss column.
Chicago continues to play excellent basketball overall, and it has won eight of its last 10 games. Its offense has been humming, not just during that 10-game span but for much of this season, and as a result, it is a sneaky team that must be taken seriously.
The lines, courtesy of BetMGM
- Point spread: Lakers -3.5
- Money line: Lakers -165/ Bulls +135
- Over-under: 238.5
Lakers vs Bulls injury updates:
Lakers: No injury report has been submitted yet, but Maxi Kleber (right foot surgery recovery) missed their last game.
Bulls: Coby White (right toe sesamoiditis) is probable. Lonzo Ball (right wrist sprain), Josh Giddey (right flexor carpi ulnaris tendinopathy) and Nikola Vučević (right midback strain) are questionable. Ayo Dosunmu (left shoulder surgery) and Tre Jones (left midfoot sprain) are out.
Advice and Prediction:
Once again, the Lakers cannot underestimate the Bulls, even though the Bulls have an anemic 32-40 record. If they still doubt the Bulls are a threat in any given game, all they need to do is watch the video of their 31-point loss on Saturday.
Chicago ranks sixth in points per game, third in made 3-pointers per game, second in 3-point attempts per game and third in fast-break points per game. On Saturday, it put up 41 3-point attempts, making 19 of them, as well as 30 fast-break points and 27 points off 21 Lakers turnovers. The Lakers will need to limit their turnovers, and when they do turn the basketball over, they need to immediately stop the ball and make Chicago play five-on-five.
Guard Coby White has been on a tear lately, and he hung 36 points on 12-of-17 overall shooting and 6-of-9 from 3-point range on L.A. on Saturday. Los Angeles must stay in front of him and live off of long, contested jumpers.
The Purple and Gold will be on the second night of a set of back-to-back games, and they continued to show troubling deficiencies versus Indiana on Wednesday. Therefore, we’re picking Chicago to come out on top in this game.
Prediction: Bulls 119, Lakers 116
