Portland Trail Blazers vs Chicago Bulls Prediction and Betting Tips | April 4, 2025
On Friday, the Portland Trail Blazers will travel to the Windy City to face the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. This matchup will be the second and final meeting between the two teams this season. In their previous encounter at the Moda Center, the Trail Blazers secured a victory over the Bulls, winning by a score of 113-102.
With five games remaining in the season, the two teams enter this match with contrasting fortunes. On one hand, the Chicago Bulls have booked their play-in berth and will have a shot at reaching the playoffs. Alternatively, the Portland Trail Blazers are on the brink of elimination as they are in 12th place, 2.5 games behind the Sacramento Kings, who occupy the final play-in spot.
This intra-conference tie will be an interesting one given that the Oregon franchise took home the win in their last meeting. The Bulls will be looking for revenge and would love to dwindle the Trail Blazers' playoff hopes with a win in Chicago.
Portland Trail Blazers vs Chicago Bulls Preview, Predicted Starting Lineups, Odds, and Prediction
The match between the Trail Blazers and the Chicago Bulls is scheduled for tipoff at 8:00 p.m. ET. Fans can follow the action from the United Center live on the KATU, KUNP, and CHSN+ networks. Viewers online can also follow the proceedings of the match by live streaming the game on the FUBO TV app or by purchasing the NBA League Pass.
Here are the odds listed at the time of writing:
Note: Odds are subject to change closer to tip-off.
Portland Trail Blazers vs Chicago Bulls Preview
The Portland Trail Blazers and the Chicago Bulls enter this fixture having played the Toronto Raptors in their previous match. Both teams secured a win against the Canadian outfit in their respective fixtures. The Bulls hosted the Raptors at home while the Trail Blazers travelled north to face them.
On a five-game awaystead, this fixture will be the Trail Blazers' final outing to the Eastern Conference this season. Ending their four-game slip after defeating the Atlanta Hawks and repeating the same result against the Raptors, the Trail Blazers are on a two-game win streak. This should fill them with confidence vs. the Chicago Bulls, who enter on the back of a win and two losses.
The Bulls recently ended a four-game winning streak with consecutive losses to the Dallas Mavericks and the OKC Thunder. However, they bounced back with a victory over the Raptors in their most recent game.
Fortunately for them, they are not under significant pressure since they have already secured a play-in berth in the Eastern Conference. Additionally, this will be their final matchup against a Western Conference team, and they are hopeful to conclude their intra-conference record with a win.
However, the Trail Blazers have been the better side when facing an opponent from the opposing conference. They have recorded 17 wins and 12 losses in their 29 games against an Eastern team, while the Bulls have won 10 and lost 19 against a Western outfit.
Portland Trail Blazers vs Chicago Bulls Starting Lineups
The Portland Trail Blazers enter the tie against the Chicago Bulls with a long injury list. Nine players are currently listed as unavailable for the Trail Blazers, including Anfernee Simmons, Scoot Henderson, DeAndre Ayton, and Jerami Grant.
The Chicago Bulls, on the other hand, have a shorter injury list in comparison to the Trail Blazers. However, it still consists of six players, including Lonzo Ball, Dalen Terry, Jevon Carter, Tre Jones, Julian Phillips, and Ayo Dosunmu.
Portland Trail Blazers vs Chicago Bulls Betting Tips
For the Chicago Bulls, Coby White has -120 odds for over/under 23.5 points scored. White is averaging 20.4 points per game this season, and has career averages against Portland of 13.3 ppg across 10 games. Taking the under here would seem wise, but as White has been in good form, hitting above 23 points in four of his last five games, taking the over feels like a better bet.
On the other hand, Shaedon Sharpe is the favorite to score 22.5 points and more for the Trail Blazers with -122 odds. Sharpe has scored over 22.5 points in both of his two previous games against Chicago, and looks a decent bet to do so here.
Portland Trail Blazers vs Chicago Bulls Prediction
Having already qualified for the play-in berth with six games remaining, the Bulls might rest their star players for their fixture against the Trail Blazers. If that is the case, then the Trail Blazers should be considered the favorites as they continue to push for the playoffs and enter the tie with a better record.