Chicago Bulls vs Toronto Raptors 2/3/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Live Stream
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Chicago Bulls vs Toronto Raptors Matchup Preview (2/3/22)
The Chicago Bulls (32-18) will make the trip to Canada to play the Toronto Raptors (26-23) on Thursday night. In their last ten games, the Bulls are a mediocre 5-5, although one of the wins came against the Raptors. The Bulls will seek to build upon their 126-116 victory over the young Orlando Magic. DeMar DeRozan’s double-double (29 points, 10 rebounds) led the way for the Bulls, while likely All-Star teammate Zach LaVine scored 26 points. Nikola Vucevic played well against his former team, scoring 18 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. With Lonzo Ball out, rookie Ayo Dosunmu has thrived as the playmaker and recorded 9 assists. Wendell Carter Jr, who was in the Vucevic trade, had another revenge game against the Bulls, going for 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. A huge cause of the Bulls’ recent slide is their struggle with injuries. Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball are expected to be out until at least March. Derrick Jones Jr will be re-evaluated soon also. Because of these injuries, look for Dosunmu, Coby White, and Troy Brown Jr to maintain their expanded role.
The Raptors are 6-4 in their last ten but are currently on a three game winning streak with wins over the Heat (twice) and Hawks. The Raptors are coming off a narrow 110-106 win over the Heat after being down 12 points at the half. Gary Trent Jr continued his demolition of the NBA with 33 points, his 5th consecutive 30-point game. Fellow backcourt starter Fred VanVleet produced a line of 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists. Pascal Siakam had an off shooting night, yet he still managed to score 16 points, grab 14 rebounds, and facilitate 4 assists. The Raptors are only a few games back from the 6th seed, but the same is also true of the 12th seed. They sit in a precarious position right now in the standings; the opportunity is there to climb or fall significantly because the Eastern Conference is so close right now. Besides backup center Khem Birch, the Raptors are completely healthy. The starting lineup will continue their excellent play, but the bench could be shaky, even against a depleted Bulls team.
Chicago Bulls vs Toronto Raptors Betting Odds
The Bulls have triumphed in the previous two matchups this season, a 111-108 victory on October 25th and a 111-105 victory on January 26th. In these two games, the Bulls were led by DeRozan (27.5 PPG) and LaVine (22.5 PPG) with Vucevic scoring 17 points both times. For the Raptors, the most consistent producer was OG Anunoby, who dropped 22 and 23 points. In this upcoming game, it seems like a toss-up to me. When healthy the Bulls are the better team, but their slew of injuries in addition to the Raptors recent play suggests a close game. I am going with the Bulls to win again by 2-4 points on the back of their trio. I expect the game to be between 105-115 points for both teams because of the Raptors defense and the Bulls injuries.
Prediction: Bulls win 112-109 | Gary Trent Jr 30+ PTS | Nikola Vucevic 20-point Double-Double
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TV Schedule
Date: 2/3/22
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Arena: Scotiabank Arena – Toronto, ON
Channel: NBA League Pass
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Chicago Bulls Starting Lineup
PG: Ayo Dosunmu
SG: Zach LaVine
SF: DeMar DeRozan
PF: Javonte Green
C: Nikola Vucevic
Chicago Bulls Analysis
DeMar DeRozan (26.5 PPG) and Zach LaVine (24.9 PPG) are carrying the Bulls offense with shot creation off the dribble and isolation scoring. The duo has a legitimate claim to being the best offensive duo in basketball at the moment. The Raptors have a multitude of wing defenders, so DeRozan and LaVine will have their work cut out for them. The offense thrives when they are drawing attention and forcing the opponent to send help, so the Bulls will need their duo to demonstrate their scoring prowess against a sturdy Raptors defense. The area the Bulls have the advantage is at the center position. The Raptors are starting Pascal Siakam (6’8”, 230 lbs) at center even though he is a forward. Former All Star Nikola Vucevic (7’0”, 260 lbs) is a complete mismatch for Siakam and can dominate the paint. The problem for the Raptors is LaVine and DeRozan will apply tremendous pressure outside of the paint, so they cannot send help to one area consistently. The offensive glass will lead to easy second-chance points for the Bulls.
The Raptors main weakness is their bench backcourt, led by Dalano Banton. The Bulls have a microwave scorer off the bench in Coby White who can cook the Raptors for 15+ points. Along with White, sharpshooter Matt Thomas (43.1 3PT% on 2.4 attempts per game) can launch threes on the Raptors backcourt. I like the Bulls to squeak by the Raptors through their offensive trio and bench guards.
Toronto Raptors Starting Lineup
PG: Fred VanVleet
SG: Gary Trent Jr
SF: Scottie Barnes
PF: OG Anunoby
C: Pascal Siakam
Toronto Raptors Analysis
The Raptors will attempt to counter DeRozan and LaVine with their own deadly offensive duo of Trent Jr and VanVleet. In the last five games, Trent Jr has scored over 30 points every time on a blistering 51.7 3PT%. With Caruso and Ball out, the Bulls have a Defensive Rating of 115 over the past ten games, good for 24th in the NBA over that stretch. Trent Jr will not be hounded by an elite perimeter defender, which gives him the opportunity to have a monster game. The Raptors have the advantage at the point guard position with Fred VanVleet back in the lineup. Bulls rookie Ayo Dosunmu has exceeded expectations, but VanVleet is a weapon averaging 21.5 PPG and 7.0 APG. VanVleet can provide an advantage over the Bulls by outscoring Dosunmu while orchestrating the offense.
The most important question for the Raptors is in regards to defensive assignments. Siakam will mark Vucevic, while VanVleet will defend Dosunmu. Where do they want to position Trent Jr, Barnes, and Anunoby though? DeRozan loves to drive and either go to the basket or pull up for jumpers, so Anunoby makes sense as his primary defender because of his length and physical strength. LaVine is comfortable as the pick and roll ball handler who operates on the perimeter, so Barnes’ quickness and active hands would make him more suited to mark LaVine. Does that mean the Raptors want to stick Trent Jr on Javonte Green? Green loves to attack the rim and is very efficient at it, which is not Trent Jr’s defensive strength. Trent Jr is a perimeter defender, not an interior defender. The Raptors must figure out how they want to set their defensive assignments in this one.
Chicago Bulls vs Toronto Raptors Daily Fantasy Picks
DeRozan and LaVine will get their 25-30 points. Besides them, I like Gary Trent Jr and Nikola Vucevic in this matchup. Trent Jr’s shot has been other-wordly, so look for him to exploit a currently weak Bulls perimeter defense. I expect Trent Jr to score 30+ points again on 5+ threes. The Raptors are content feeding him the ball right now because of his hot-hand. For the Bulls, I like Vucevic to have a 20-point double-double. Siakam will struggle to handle Vucevic’s size. In the Raptors last game, Heat center Bam Adebayo went off for 32 points and 11 rebounds because Siakam could not hang with him. While it is very improbable Vucevic gets 30 points, he will have a great game for the Bulls.
