The Los Angeles Lakers bring their star power to the United Center tonight as they face a surging Chicago Bulls squad. With Luka Doncic averaging a staggering 33.4 points per game, we break down the efficiency metrics and injury reports to find the best bet for this cross-conference clash.
The Setup: Lakers at Bulls
The Lakers are laying a point on the road in Chicago on Monday night, and that’s a line that immediately tells you the market respects what Luka Doncic has done since arriving in Los Angeles. At 27-17 and fifth in the West, the Lakers are getting a road number that suggests near-parity against a Bulls team sitting 23-22 and ninth in the East. But the absence of Austin Reaves—who’s averaging 26.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists—shifts the rotation math significantly. Chicago just rattled off four straight wins, capped by Kevin Huerter’s buzzer-beater against Boston on Saturday. The Bulls are 15-9 at the United Center, and that home split matters when you’re getting a Lakers squad down a primary offensive creator. This line exists because the Lakers still have Luka and LeBron, but the efficiency gap narrows when you lose Reaves’ scoring and playmaking volume.
Game Info & Betting Lines
Game Time: January 26, 2026, 8:00 ET
Location: United Center
TV Network: Home: CHSN | Away: Spectrum Sports Net, Spectrum Sports Net +, NBA League Pass
Current Betting Lines (MyBookie.ag):
- Spread: Lakers -1.0 (-110) | Bulls +1.0 (-110)
- Moneyline: Lakers -116 | Bulls -105
- Total: Over/Under 237.5 (-110)
Why This Line Exists
The Lakers are a point favorite on the road because Luka Doncic is averaging 33.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.7 assists this season, and that kind of production creates a floor even in difficult spots. Add LeBron James at 22.3 points and 6.9 assists, and you’ve got two elite playmakers who can control pace and generate quality looks. But the market is also accounting for the Reaves absence, which removes 26.6 points and 6.3 assists from the rotation. That’s significant usage that now shifts to role players who don’t have the same efficiency profile.
Chicago’s 15-9 home record is legitimate—they protect the United Center, and that home/road split tells you they’re a different team in front of their crowd. The Bulls are also riding momentum with four straight wins, and that recent form matters when you’re evaluating confidence and execution. The total at 237.5 suggests the market expects a moderately paced game with enough offensive firepower to push scoring into the high 110s or low 120s. That number respects what both teams can do offensively but doesn’t anticipate a track meet.
The key here is understanding that the Lakers’ road number is built on star power, but the efficiency math gets tighter when you remove Reaves from the equation. Chicago doesn’t need to dominate—they just need to execute at home and force the Lakers into relying on Luka and LeBron for 40-plus minutes of high-level production.
Lakers Breakdown: What You Need to Know
The Lakers are 15-9 on the road, which is a strong split and shows they can win away from home. Luka’s 33.4 points per game leads the offense, and his ability to create in isolation and pick-and-roll situations gives the Lakers a reliable half-court option. LeBron at 22.3 points provides secondary scoring, and his playmaking (6.9 assists) keeps the offense flowing when Luka rests. The problem is Reaves’ absence creates a usage gap that’s difficult to fill. He’s their third-leading scorer at 26.6 points, and his 6.3 assists mean the Lakers lose a significant playmaking option.
Jake LaRavia is questionable after logging 30 minutes and 13 points against Dallas on Saturday. If he sits, Rui Hachimura likely enters the starting lineup, but that’s a rotation adjustment that affects defensive matchups and floor spacing. The Lakers’ ability to cover on the road depends on Luka and LeBron staying efficient and the role players hitting open shots. When you’re laying a point on the road without one of your top three scorers, the margin for error shrinks.
Bulls Breakdown: The Other Side
Chicago’s 15-9 home record is built on familiarity and execution. Josh Giddey is averaging 18.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 8.9 assists, which gives the Bulls a versatile playmaker who can push pace and create for others. Coby White matches Giddey at 18.8 points and adds perimeter shooting with 4.7 assists. Nikola Vucevic provides interior scoring at 16.8 points and 9.1 rebounds, which gives Chicago a legitimate post presence to exploit mismatches.
The Bulls just knocked off Boston on Saturday with Kevin Huerter’s buzzer-beater, and that kind of finish builds confidence. White hit five threes and scored 22 points in that win, and the Bulls made 21 total threes, which shows they can stretch the floor and punish defenses that collapse on drives. Tre Jones is out with a left hamstring strain, which removes a rotation guard, but the Bulls have enough depth with Ayo Dosunmu and Huerter to absorb that loss.
Chicago’s strength is at home, where they execute their sets with precision and feed off the crowd. The 8-13 road split tells you they struggle away from the United Center, but this game is in their building, and that’s where they’re most dangerous.
The Matchup: Where This Game Gets Decided
This game comes down to whether the Lakers can generate enough offense without Reaves to overcome Chicago’s home-court advantage. Luka and LeBron will handle the bulk of the playmaking, but the Bulls can load up defensively on those two and force role players to beat them. Giddey’s 8.9 assists suggest the Bulls move the ball well, and that kind of ball movement creates open looks against defenses that have to account for multiple threats.
The total at 237.5 implies roughly 118-119 points per team, which feels achievable for both sides. The Lakers have the firepower with Luka and LeBron, and the Bulls just put up 114 against Boston while hitting 21 threes. If Chicago can replicate that perimeter shooting and Vucevic controls the paint, they have the offensive balance to keep pace.
Defensively, the Lakers will try to slow Giddey and White in transition and force Chicago into half-court sets where they can load up on driving lanes. But the Bulls’ home splits suggest they execute better at the United Center, and that familiarity matters in close games. The Lakers’ road efficiency is solid at 15-9, but losing Reaves removes a key piece of their offensive puzzle. Over the course of 95-100 possessions, that usage gap becomes difficult to overcome when you’re relying on two stars to carry the load.
The pace will likely favor Chicago if they can push in transition off misses and turnovers. The Bulls’ four-game winning streak shows they’re executing at a high level right now, and momentum matters when you’re playing at home against a shorthanded opponent.
Bash’s Best Bet & The Play
I’m backing the Bulls at home getting a point. Chicago’s 15-9 record at the United Center is legitimate, and they’re riding a four-game winning streak with confidence. The Lakers are a strong road team at 15-9, but losing Reaves removes 26.6 points and 6.3 assists from the rotation, and that’s a significant efficiency hit. Luka and LeBron will keep this game competitive, but asking them to carry the offensive load for 40-plus minutes on the road is a tall order.
The Bulls have the offensive balance with Giddey, White, and Vucevic to exploit the Lakers’ adjusted rotations, and their recent shooting performance (21 threes against Boston) shows they can stretch the floor. The line at Lakers -1.0 suggests near-parity, but the home/road splits and the Reaves absence tilt the efficiency math toward Chicago. The risk is Luka going nuclear and dragging the Lakers to a cover, but the possessions math favors the Bulls at home with a balanced attack.
BASH’S BEST BET: Bulls +1.0 for 2 units.
Chicago protects home court and gets the outright win in a game that stays tight throughout. Take the point and trust the Bulls’ execution at the United Center.
