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Surging Bulls, red-hot Raptors meet Thursday
By: Zach Cohen - StatFox
Published: 11/13/2014  at  4:14:00 AM
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CHICAGO BULLS (6-2)

at TORONTO RAPTORS (7-1)

Tip-off: Thursday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Line: Toronto -2.5, Total: 196

Two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference square off north of the border on Thursday night when the Bulls visit the Raptors.

Chicago is coming off a 102-91 win-and-cover over the Pistons Monday to give the club five wins it its past six games. They Bulls are, however, just 3-5 ATS in their eight games this season. Toronto, meanwhile, edged out Orlando 104-100 on Tuesday night for its fifth straight victory. The Raptors did not cover the hefty 10.5-point spread on the game, but they are still 6-2 ATS on the year. Last season, these two teams split victories 2-2 (both SU and ATS) with the road team curiously winning all four matchups. Points were hard to come by, as three of the four meetings finished Under the total. When playing in Toronto over the past three seasons, the Bulls are 3-1 SU (2-2 ATS), but overall in that time, the Raptors are 4-3 SU (5-2 ATS). Toronto has covered in nine of its past 12 games against Chicago. Since 1996, the Bulls are 125-94 ATS in road games when playing six or more games in 10 days. The Raptors, meanwhile, are 35-21 ATS when playing six or more games in 10 days over the past three years. They are also 32-19 ATS after one or more consecutive Overs the past two seasons. SF Landry Fields (flu) is questionable for Toronto in this game, while Chicago SF Jimmy Butler (thumb) has been upgraded to probable.

Who will win this clash of top-notch Eastern Conference clubs? For the answer, connect to The Platinum Sheet for all the Expert picks throughout the entire 2014-15 season. StatFox Zach posted a 54% ATS mark (65-56-4) in NBA Best Bets last season, while StatFox Forecaster had a 53.4% ATS (207-181-12) in featured games last season. StatFox Scott is off to a great start to the 2014-15 campaign at 55% ATS (6-5), while StatFox Brian is 63% ATS (5-3) on NBA Best Bets in November.

The Bulls are off to a great start despite superstar PG Derrick Rose (17.5 PPG, 5.8 APG, 1.3 SPG) going in and out of the lineup. Rose has missed four games this year with sprained ankles, but he’s healthier now and just had 24 points and seven assists in the Bulls’ win on Monday. He has a tough matchup with Kyle Lowry coming up, so he’ll need to be ready to work hard on both ends of the floor. One player who has taken his game to a new level is SF Jimmy Butler (19.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.3 APG). Butler had 19 points and four rebounds in 43 minutes against the Pistons. He ranks third in the NBA in court time (39.5 MPG) and is playing fantastic two-way basketball (1.5 SPG). Butler will likely see plenty of time guarding DeMar DeRozan, so he’ll need to stay out of foul trouble. PF Pau Gasol (18.4 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 2.4 BPG) has been a monster this season. Against the Pistons, Gasol had 17 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and four blocks. He is the reason that this team is more than capable of contending for a championship if Rose can stay healthy. His ability to change the game on the offensive end gives this team the exact type of player they were lacking the past few years.

The Raptors are off to a hot start and will look to make a statement in this home matchup with the Bulls. PG Kyle Lowry (18.0 PPG, 5.8 APG, 4.6 RPG) has not missed a beat after signing a big contract extension this summer. He’s still a bull on both ends of the floor and will look to play physically while making Derrick Rose uncomfortable throughout this game. SG DeMar DeRozan (21.9 PPG, 4.8 RPG) has a tough matchup with Jimmy Butler in this one, but DeRozan has improved his jumper even more this year and his smooth offensive game is extremely difficult to throw off. He should be able to have a big night against the Bulls, even with their defensive strengths. One guy who must improve his play is C Jonas Valanciunas (10.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 1.3 BPG). The big man had just four points and seven rebounds in 20 minutes in the Raptors’ win over the Magic. He’s had less than 10 points in three of the past four contests and is clearly struggling with a loss of confidence. Toronto needs him to play tough and continue doing the dirty work inside. One guy who is helping fill the toughness void for Toronto is PF James Johnson (6.9 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.1 BPG). The two players do not play the same position, but Johnson is a glue guy who can do a number of things well defensively. He had six points, 10 rebounds and a block against the Magic after a two-block game against the 76ers two nights before. Johnson could be a major X-factor against the Bulls.


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