The second NBA Play-In Tournament matchup in the Eastern Conference pits two teams that underachieved during the 2022-23 season against one another. The Chicago Bulls will be heading on the road to take on the Toronto Raptors.
Whoever loses this game will get a headstart on the offseason and potentially make some major moves. Both teams have difficult decisions awaiting when it comes to their rosters with All-Star caliber players potentially being traded or let go in free agency.
The Bulls and Raptors matched up three times in the regular season with Toronto coming away with the 2-1 edge. Whoever wins this game will travel to take on the Miami Heat on Friday evening to determine the No. 8 seed in the conference and be first-round fodder for the Milwaukee Bucks. The loser will be heading into the NBA Draft Lottery.
What can we expect to see when these teams face off Wednesday night? Here is all the information you need to watch the game with some analysis and predictions as well.
Date: April 12th, 2023
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
TV Channel: ESPN, TSN
Radio: ESPNR, CHUM, WSCR
Injury Report For Chicago Bulls vs. Toronto Raptors
Chicago Bulls Injury Report: Lonzo Ball – Out – Left Knee Surgery, Justin Lewis – Out – Right Knee Surgery, Terry Taylor – Out – G League Two-Way
Toronto Raptors Injury Report: Jeff Dowtin Jr. – Out – G League Two-Way, Ron Harper Jr. – Out – G League Two-Way, Otto Porter Jr. – Out – Left Foot Surgery
Expected Starting Lineups For Chicago Bulls vs. Toronto Raptors
Chicago Bulls Expected Starting Lineup: G Patrick Beverley, G Alex Caruso, F Zach LaVine, F DeMar DeRozan, C Nikola Vucevic
Toronto Raptors Expected Starting Lineup: G Fred VanVleet, G OG Anunoby, F Scottie Barnes Jr., F Pascal Siakam, C Jakob Poeltl
Betting Odds For Chicago Bulls vs. Toronto Raptors
Bulls vs. Raptors Spread: Raptors -6
Bulls vs. Raptors Over/Under Total: 212.5 Total Points
Bulls vs. Raptors Moneylines: Bulls: +200, Raptors: -240
This matchup will come down to how much the Bulls can execute offensively against a stifling Raptors defense. Toronto is long and athletic across the board, making for a suffocating defense. Now, with a legitimate center in Jakob Poeltl anchoring the unit, they are even tougher to score against.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS COVERAGE: Toronto Raptors & Chicago Bulls Updates
Chicago’s offensive game plan revolves around DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. They need to have big games for the Bulls to pull off the upset on the road and DeRozan should have some extra motivation against his old team. But, he has been held in check by Toronto in the three regular-season matchups.
The Bulls have found a lot more success since Patrick Beverley’s arrival, but winning in Toronto is no small task. The Raptors are 27-14 at home this season and will have a distinct advantage on the glass given the size difference. Coby White and Gary Trent Jr. coming off the bench is another intriguing matchup to keep an eye on as both can get hot shooting the ball.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS COVERAGE: Toronto Raptors & Chicago Bulls Updates
Ultimately, having home-court advantage and being the bigger team to control the paint will be what leads the Raptors to a win. Their ability to take DeRozan out of the game was imperative to their regular season victories and it is hard to envision Billy Donovan and the Bulls cracking the code to get him going.
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