Chicago Bulls odds: LaVine needs to be dominant in Oladipo return

The Chicago Bulls are the lucky team that gets to face Victor Oladipo in his return game. Here are the latest odds and things to watch for.

It’s been over a year since All-Star guard Victor Oladipo played in an NBA basketball game. Tonight, he’s set to make his return to action when the Indiana Pacers host the Chicago Bulls. This is a big game for both teams. The Bulls are only two games behind the Nets for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. The Pacers, on the other hand, are only three games behind the Raptors for the no. 2 seed.

Zach LaVine needs to be dominant

If the Bulls are going to leave Indiana with a win, it’ll have to be on the shoulders of Zach LaVine. With Lauri Markkanen, Otto Porter Jr., and Wendell Carter Jr. all sidelined, the offense will only go as far as LaVine can take it.

The good news? LaVine has been really impressive in January, averaging 29.5 points per game on an efficient 47.3 percent shooting from the field to go along with 5.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists. He’s also only turning the ball over 2.7 times per game. In LaVine World, that’s a pretty low number.

The bad news? The Pacers are a really good overall team — much better than the Bulls. They don’t need Oladipo to come back and play at an All-Star level right away. They have the luxury of easing him back as he regains his feel for the game.

On paper, the Bulls shouldn’t have a chance to win this game. The Pacers are loaded in the frontcourt and the Bulls have… Luke Kornet, Thaddeus Young and Cristiano Felicio. But the beauty of basketball is that games aren’t won on paper. If LaVine explodes for 40-something points and bails the Bulls offense out for four quarters, they’ll have a chance to steal a win on the road.

Bulls odds against Pacers

The following odds are courtesy of The Action Network and are current as of 12:15 pm CT.

This line seems a little extreme. Indiana is rightfully the favorite, but a 9.5-point favorite? Come on. The Pacers will be working out the kinks of inserting Oladipo back into the lineup and the Bulls have won three of their last four games. Chicago is also 12-10-1 against the spread on the road this season.

Prediction: The Bulls cover the spread but lose the game.