Raptors and Bulls debut on Play-In

With Toronto hosting the game, both teams will fight tonight for a spot in the next stage before the playoffs

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April 12, 2023

After yesterday’s two great games that ended up with the Hawks and the Lakers clinching a spot in the playoffs, it is time for the #9 vs #10 seeds games. And tonight the Toronto Raptors and the Chicago Bulls will debut on the Play-In Tournament as they try to get to the playoffs as the #8 seed.

The winner of tonight’s game will still face the Miami Heat in the final Play-In matchup that will decide the last team to qualify for the playoffs in the East. But before thinking of that they have to win tonight. The loser will be eliminated from the season. The winner will fight for the final shot. So let’s see how the teams got to this point.

Starting with the home team, the Toronto Raptors finished the season with the #9 seed in the East after a record of 41-41. They finished tied with the Hawks but fell behind in the direct matches. And after a not-so-great season, they are still alive. Toronto won the last regular season game and wants to keep up with that now.

On the other side, we have the Chicago Bulls. After a 40-42 record in the regular season, they were able to clinch a Play-In spot with the #10 seed in the East. They don’t have an amazing team but this doesn’t mean they don’t have any chance tonight. In fact, they won the last two games in the regular season and want to make a streak with the third win tonight.

WIN or GO HOME tonight on ESPN!

▪️ DeMar back in Toronto for CHI/TOR
▪️ Shai, OKC vs. Ingram, NOP

Winners of these 9 vs. 10 games move on to #ATTPlayIn action Friday night 🍿 pic.twitter.com/67UQJNPn8q
— NBA (@NBA) April 12, 2023

Injury Report

Neither team has any problems for tonight. At least not new ones. The last updates on both teams’ injury reports are from at least a month ago informing that players who were out for a long time such as Otto Porter Jr. (TOR) and Lonzo Ball (CHI) had successful surgeries to correct their season-ending injuries.

Bets

The favourites tonight are the Toronto Raptors. Playing at home, having a better and more consistent team and better players who can individually decide the game, they are favoured by 6 points tonight. The over/under is lower than usual, at only 212.5 points.

Some good lines on the player props sections start with Gary Trent Jr. having over than 1.5 assists. In the last two games, he had three in each, and he averages 1.6 during the regular season. He is still coming back from a time out of combat, but still a good option. Check the predictions for the game.