The Los Angeles Lakers take on the Chicago Bulls two days after the team’s biggest statement win of the season against the Milwaukee Bucks. This is the second time the Lakers and Bulls have squared off, with the Lake Show coming away with a two-point victory at home earlier in January.
The Bulls have been better this season than they have been in recent years but they still have not been good. They currently have a 7-8 record on the season while the Lakers are tied for the league’s best record at 12-4.
Chicago is a young team with some exciting players, headlined by Zach LaVine. While they can score the basketball and rank fourth in the league in points per game, they have some defensive hurdles that have cost them some games.
The Bulls allow 119.3 points per game, the third-most in the NBA.
As part of the Lake Show Life Podcast, I have been picking against the spread and the point total in every Laker game. And according to the BetMGM odds on the Action Network, the Lakers enter this contest as 9.5-point favorites with a point total set at 228.5.
Not to brag or anything, but I am 4-0 in my last four picks, putting my season record back in the green at 15-13. This game is a bit interesting, though, as I did promise on the latest episode of the podcast that I would take the Lakers as favorites as long as it was single digits.
The Lakers are single digits, but now that I have had some time to reflect, I do not love that promise as much as I did two days ago. Whatever shall I do?
Betting picks for Los Angeles Lakers vs. Chicago Bulls:
- Los Angeles Lakers -9.5, under 228.5 (Final score: Lakers 119, Bulls 107)
I am betting on the Los Angeles Lakers’ defense on this one. While I do worry about the team having a “come back down to earth” game after beating the Bucks, they are still the far more talented team than the Bulls and should be able to make quick work of them.
This is not so much about whether or not the Lakers will beat the Bulls, it is about whether or not the Lakers can keep the Bulls from covering.
I think they will and I have one main reasoning: Zach LaVine. LaVine had a monster game at the Staples Center last time these two teams played and while he is a very talented basketball player, I am not sure if he is going to be able to replicate that performance against the Lakers yet again.
LeBron will not be the one with the big game in this one, instead, it will be Anthony Davis. Davis is playing in his hometown of Chicago and that will motivate him to play his best brand of basketball, especially after saying that he thinks he sucks right now after the Bucks game.
AD goes off and the Lakers narrowly cover the -9.5 and thus the under hits as well as Chicago is unable to get into the 110s.