This is a matchup of two once similar teams, now headed in completely opposite directions.
On the one side, you have the Raptors, who probably never really tanked as much as some pundits and some in the fan base wanted them to. Instead, Toronto chose to use the final pieces of its championship roster to acquire actual NBA talent in the form of Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett. Helped along by a leap in Scottie Barnes’ game, the Raptors are 32-23 heading out of the All-Star break, looking to hold onto a top six seed in the East.
Then there’s the Bulls. The unofficial kings of the Play-In, Chicago had spent the last four-and-a-half seasons under Billy Donovan in a state of arrested development. Then finally, mercifully, the Bulls decided a few weeks back to blow it all up. The franchise couldn’t recoup a single first-round pick for its troubles, but Chicago was successful in shipping out the likes of Nikola Vucevic, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu at the deadline. Now, entering Thursday on a six-game losing streak, the Bulls at least have a clear direction as an organization.
Will the Raptors make that seven in a row this evening? Let’s preview this tilt with the help of some of some odds and lines on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Raptors at Bulls prediction, preview
The Bulls do not have a win in February. As much as the team’s losing streak has coincided with the front office trading away pieces of the core, it has also taken place during an eight-game injury absence for Josh Giddey (hamstring). The guard is technically listed as questionable for tonight’s contest against the Raptors, yet Giddey is expected to be available after taking part in a full practice on Wednesday. It’s difficult to overstate just how meaningful Giddey is to Chicago. In fact, with the aforementioned White and Vucevic now calling Charlotte and Boston home, respectively, it’s Giddey who leads the Bulls in points (18.6), assists (8.8) and rebounds (8.6) per game. As you might infer from those stats, Chicago is 17-17 when Giddey plays this season, and only 7-14 with the former lottery pick in street clothes.
The Raptors are also relatively healthy entering the season’s second-half. Rookie Collin Murray-Boyles (thumb) is probable to play after logging just 8.2 minutes of action in Toronto’s final two contests before the break, while Jakob Poeltl (back) does not carry an injury designation. The big man started the Raptors’ 113-95 loss to the Pistons on February 11, registering nine points and six rebounds in 20.2 minutes. While Toronto will eventually need Poeltl’s size, the drop coverage the team is forced to play with him on the court is a massive adjustment from the 1-5 “switch-ability” of a CMB and Scottie Barnes front court duo. Considering the Bulls’ complete lack of size, it’ll be interesting to see how much Darko Rajakovic leans on his veteran center on Thursday. The status of Sandro Mamukelashvili (rib), who is questionable, will also loom large in this regard.
These two teams last met on February 5 — the night of the NBA Trade Deadline — with Toronto pulling away in the third quarter for a 123-107 victory, despite 18 made three-pointers from Chicago. Giddey was not available for that game, nor was Nick Richards, Collin Sexton or Rob Dillingham, so it’ll certainly be a different looking Bulls squad tonight. That said, this is a matchup that the Raptors need to win. In the month, Toronto sits eighth in the league in net rating, outscoring opponents by 4.4 points per 100 possessions. In the same span, Chicago ranks dead-last (-20.6). Giddey’s return, even on a minutes restriction should help, but not that much.
Raptors at Bulls pick, best bet
Best Bet: Raptors -6.5 (-108)
This is the point of the NBA season where intent matters. The Raptors are trying to win games. The Bulls are not. Chicago has yet to secure a victory in the month of February. Meanwhile, Toronto is 15-11 ATS on the road in 2025-26 — the seventh-best mark in the league.
