Lakers vs. Bulls Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for March 26 (Nikola Vucevic Leads Chicago to Upset Win)

Lakers vs. Bulls Game Info

• Date: Sunday, March 26, 2023
• Time: 3:30 PM ET
• Venue: Crypto.com Arena -- Los Angeles, California
• Coverage: SportsNet LA and NBCS-CHI

The 2022-23 NBA season continues on Sunday with nine more games, including a battle between the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. The Bulls rank 10th in the Eastern Conference with a 35-38 record, while the Lakers check in eighth in the Western Conference with an improving 37-37 record.

Chicago enters as a victor in six of its last eight games following a 124-96 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday. Meanwhile, Los Angeles has now won seven of its last 10 games thanks to a 116-111 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. Which playoff hopeful will win on Sunday?

Lakers vs. Bulls Odds & Spread

• All NBA betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: LAL: (-154) | CHI: (+130)
• Spread: LAL: -3.5 (-108) | CHI: +3.5 (-112)
• Total: 222.5 -- Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

The Lakers enter this contest as small home favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 3:30 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 222.5 points, which is below average compared to Sunday's projected totals.

Lakers vs Bulls Betting Information

Favorite	Spread	Favorite Spread Odds	Underdog Spread Odds	Total	Over Total Odds	Under Total Odds	Favorite Moneyline	Underdog Moneyline
Lakers	-4.5	-	-	226.5	-110	-110	-180	152

Lakers vs. Bulls Betting Trends

• The Lakers covered 36 times in 82 games with a spread last season.
• As 4.5-point underdogs or more, the Bulls went 4-11 against the spread last year.
• The Lakers and their opponents combined to hit the over 47 out of 82 times last season.
• There were 40 Bulls games (out of 82) that hit the over last year.

Lakers vs. Bulls Prediction & Pick

Injuries continue to be the main storyline of the Lakers' season. LeBron James is listed as doubtful to suit up against the Bulls due to a right foot injury, while D'Angelo Russell is listed as questionable with a hip issue. Both players were out on Friday when the Lakers nearly let a 17-point lead slip away.

Chicago has a good chance at pulling off an upset for two reasons. The Lakers are at their best when they are dominating down low, but the Bulls allow just 46.9 points in the paint per game (No. 4 in NBA). Chicago also ranks ninth in opponent offensive rebounds per game (9.7), while LA ranks 26th (11.3).

The Bulls have won five straight road games and I see that streak growing to six on Sunday afternoon.

Final Score Prediction: Lakers: 110 | Bulls: 114

Lakers vs. Bulls Best Bet

The Bulls are going to need Nikola Vucevic to step up if they want to win in LA. The veteran big man has been reliable as of late, averaging 18.6 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists over his last eight games. He draws a great matchup against an LA defense that has struggled to defend down low.

The Lakers are allowing the eighth-most points in the paint per game in the NBA (52.5) and have specifically struggled against centers. LA is giving up the sixth-most rebounds (16.0) and the third-most assists (4.4) to opposing centers. Look for Vucevic to be a difference-maker for Chicago today.

Bet: Nikola Vucevic Over 31.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-104)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.