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The LA Lakers and the Chicago Bulls square off for the second time this season, and the action shifts to Crypto.com Arena as the Purple and Gold complete their heavy home stretch before embarking on a testing six-game road trip. The Lakers are 5-5 in their last 10 games, a better run, compared to a dismal December that saw them slip a few rungs and barely hang in the top 10. They began 'Rivals Week' with a loss to the LA Clippers despite being in the contest for the major portion of the game. That their offense sparked back to life, courtesy of D'Angelo Russell's recent tear comes as good news for a team that's relied heavily on LeBron James and Anthony Davis for the bulk of the scoring. Now, they host a belligerent Windy City outfit, hoping to get even.
Amid all the trade rumors surrounding both sides, the Bulls trounced LA last month, and have been marginally better than LA with a 6-4 record in their last ten games. Their away record (7-14) is as bad as the Lakers (6-15) and they will be without Zach LaVine again as the guard is out for at least two weeks with a sprained ankle.
As far as head-to-head regular season clashes go, LA has led 95-67 in 162 overall meetings between the two sides.
Chicago Bulls vs LA Lakers: Preview, betting tips, and prediction
Game details:
Teams: Chicago Bulls vs LA Lakers
Date and time: Jan. 25, 2023 | 10:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Crypto.com Arena, LA
Chicago Bulls vs LA Lakers: Preview
The Lakers are guilty of dropping winnable contests this season. Whether it's poor manning on the sidelines, the lack of 3s, injuries or just about anything else under the sun, the storyline hasn't changed much from where they were this time last season.
A win on Thursday will prep them for the upcoming slate of games where they have a legitimate chance of making a surge in the West — but it all starts with a win, one they sorely need.
Russell's good form could be the X-factor as the point guard has been playing on a different level. In his last five games, he has showcased his mettle with 24.8 points and 6.8 assists amid the rumor mills churning that he would not be a Laker by the end of the season.
Rui Hachimura has been in and out of the starting lineup but has made contributions worthy of being noted, while Jarred Vanderbilt is showing how a fully healthy version of himself is a defensive threat to any opponents.
After a quiet few games for both James and Davis, Thursday provides an opportunity to get back to winning ways for the duo who have stuck to their objective that it's a championship or bust season for the Purple and Gold.
The matchup in December made headlines purely because the latter was linked with trading potentially three of their stars to LA. In a game where Russell stuttered and was practically invisible, the Bulls blew out the Lakers, 123-108. DeMar DeRozan led from the front with 27 points, nine boards and seven assists. Alex Caruso and 15 points against his former side, and with both players linked to the oppositions, the game garnered immense buzz, even in the absence of LaVine.
Chicago capitalized on LA's poor defense last time. Can they do it again when the two sides meet?
Chicago Bulls vs LA Lakers: Predicted starting lineups
Cam Reddish (right ankle sprain), Maxwell Lewis (non-COVID illness), and Gabe Vincent (left knee surgery) are all ruled out of the marquee matchup. LeBron James (left ankle peroneal tendinopathy) and Anthony Davis (bilateral Achilles tendinopathy) are listed as questionable but expect both of them to play the contest as the hosts look to get back at the .500 mark.
D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Jarred Vanderbilt and Anthony Davis are expected to be the starters for LA.
The Bulls will be without Zach LaVine (right ankle sprain), Torrey Craig (right plantar fascia), and Lonzo Ball (left knee surgery). Patrick Williams (right ankle sprain) is listed as probable.
Coby White, Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan, Patrick Williams and Nikola Vucevic are the predicted lineup for Chicago.
Chicago Bulls vs LA Lakers: Betting tips
Spread: Bulls (+4.5) vs Lakers (-4.5)
Moneyline: Bulls (+170) vs Lakers (-205)
Total (o/u): 226.5
Player props: Davis heads into the evening as one of the players to watch out for. The potential DPOY candidate is 26.5/27.5 with -108 over and -120 under. James is second with 25.5 (-120/-110). For the Bulls, DeRozan is 22.5 with -115 over and -105 under.
Chicago Bulls vs LA Lakers: Prediction
The question for LA will be about how badly they want the win. In the contest between two teams that have been equally inconsistent this entire season, they will still come off as superior on paper on sheer depth.
Should James and Davis combine again they can get the better of the Bulls who have been playing better basketball in their last 20 games. Take the home team to scrape through on Thursday.
