The Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls take the court for the second time in four days to battle. The Bulls beat the Lakers on Sunday 118-108 before losing on Monday to the Clippers and sliding into the 10th seed in the East. Meanwhile, Sunday’s loss left the Lakers in the 9th seed and within a half-game of falling to 11th.
It would be an understatement to say that this game is a must-win for both teams. The sportsbooks are siding with the Lakers here, as the NBA lines list them as two-point favorites on the road.
Is James Healthy?
Two big NBA news stories are swirling around the Lakers, and neither is good. The first is whether LeBron James is the “fastest healer” in the NBA or his doctors were just blowing gold and purple smoke up his backside. If his return to the court was any indication, James’ foot is not 100 percent. In the Lakers’ loss to Chicago on Sunday, James scored just 19 points in 30 minutes.
PAT BEV SAID YOU’RE TOO SMALL.@PatBev21 | @NBCSChicago pic.twitter.com/zBz46GI7q5
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 26, 2023
James is listed as questionable for Wednesday, but that’s not the only bad news for the Lakers. Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell are also listed on the injury report, with the possibility that one, or both, may miss Wednesday’s game. At the least, the “big three” in LA are all playing hurt, which won’t help.
The injuries alone make the Lakers a risky NBA bet, but their problems don’t end there. LA is among the bottom third of the NBA regarding wins against the spread (ATS) when playing on the road. LA enters this game at 17-20 ATS with a return on investment (ROI) of -12.37%.
Chicago on the Edge
Despite their win on Sunday, the Bulls fell the following night to the Clippers and ended up right back where they started with the final seed in the East. The Washington Wizards are 2.5 games behind, while the Toronto Raptors are 1.5 games ahead. If Chicago wants to avoid getting snuck up on, they will have to beat the Lakers again tonight. Luckily, the Wizards are missing two of their best three players and may be unable to move up.
On a positive note, the Bulls are playing good ball right now with a 7-3 record in their last 10 games. Several of those wins were against playoff teams such as the Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Miami Heat.
The Bulls are also not dealing with the injury woes that LA is, with no players that contribute meaningful minutes injured as of Wednesday morning, making them an attractive bet online as underdogs at home.
Lakers vs Bulls Game Injuries
Lakers vs Bulls Head-to-Head
The Bulls are on a three-game winning streak over the Lakers since November 2021. Chicago beat the Lakers on Sunday by 10 points despite being five-point underdogs on the NBA betting lines. The Over/Under is 3-0 in that span.
Lakers vs Bulls Game Information
- Game: Lakers (37-38) vs Bulls (36-39)
- Location United Center, Chicago, IL
- Day/Time: Wednesday, March 29, 8:00 p.m. ET
- Lakers vs Bulls Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
Lakers vs Bulls Betting Lines
Lakers vs Bulls Picks and Prediction
The Bulls are in a prime spot to pull off a season sweep of the ailing Lakers. I don’t care what James or his doctors say, his foot is not healed, and he’s one wrong step away from going down. James’ sub-20 point game on Sunday indicates how unprepared he is to lead this team on one foot. The Lakers will give him more minutes tonight, but I’m still adding the Bulls to my NBA picks for Wednesday.
The Lakers are listed at -140 in our Vegas NBA lines. If you wager $100 on the Lakers, you can win $280. The Bulls are +120, offering a chance to win $120 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives the Lakers a 58.33% chance to win, with the Bulls at 45.45%.
The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.
Lakers vs Bulls Trends
Lakers vs Bulls Edge
Lakers vs Bulls Results
Lakers vs Bulls Game Summary
Bulls vs Lakers Previous Game(Mar. 26, 2023)
DeRozan will suit up for the Bulls but may be limited. He’s in his hometown so he’ll do his best to give the fans a show. Still, monitor the NBA news for his status. But the Lakers are the better defensive team and so long as Davis is on the floor, they should get the edge over the Bulls.
The Los Angeles Lakers play host to the Chicago Bulls Sunday in the first of their consecutive meetings. On Wednesday, they head to Chicago. The NBA lines favor the home team Lakers with superstar forward Anthony Davis (foot) now listed as probable to play. Chicago swept Los Angeles last season. But the Lakers won the last eight games before that and will look to deliver for the fans.
