Bulls vs. Clippers Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for MLK Day (Monday, Jan. 20)

The Los Angeles Clippers continued their strong play at home on Sunday night, knocking off the Los Angeles Lakers to maintain their grip on the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.

Tyronn Lue’s club has weathered the loss of Kawhi Leonard early in the season, and now with Leonard back, the Clippers look like a bonafide playoff team out West.

They’ll look to keep things rolling – likely without Kawhi – on the second night of a back-to-back against the Chicago Bulls.

Chicago is coming off a road loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday – the team’s fifth loss in a row. The No. 10 seed in the East, Chicago is in serious danger of falling out of the play-in tournament picture in the conference, although it may want that for draft pick reasons. If the Bulls finish outside of the top 10 in the draft lottery, they owe their 2025 first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs as part of the DeMar DeRozan sign-and-trade.

Oddsmakers have favored the Clippers in this one, but can they keep their NBA-best against-the-spread record as a home favorite going?

Here’s a full breakdown of the odds, player props to bet and my prediction for Monday’s contest.

Bulls vs. Clippers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

Bulls +5.5 (-108)
Clippers -5.5 (-112)

Moneyline

Bulls: +180
Clippers: -218

Total

227 (Over -110/Under -110)

Bulls vs. Clippers How to Watch

Date: Monday, Jan. 20
Time: 10:30 p.m. EST
Venue: Intuit Dome
How to Watch (TV): CHSN, Bally Sports SoCal
Bulls record: 18-25
Clippers record: 24-17

Bulls vs. Clippers Injury Reports

Bulls Injury Report

Not submitted yet

Clippers Injury Report

Not submitted yet

Note: It’s unlikely the Clippers will play star Kawhi Leonard on the second night of a back-to-back after he faced the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

Bulls vs. Clippers Best NBA Prop Bets

Chicago Bulls Best NBA Prop Bet

Zach LaVine OVER 24.5 Points (-105)

A 30-point streak pushed LaVine’s points prop into the high 30s over the last week, but it has dropped back down to 24.5 ahead of Monday’s matchup.

I’ll gladly buy LaVine (who had 27 points on Sunday) at that number, as he’s scored 25 or more in eight of his last 10 games, averaging 28.6 points per game over that stretch.

This season, LaVine is up to 23.7 points per game while shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 45.1 percent from beyond the arc.

Los Angeles Clippers Best NBA Prop Bet

Amir Coffey OVER 9.5 Points (-125)

Coffey has been an important rotation player for the Clippers this season, averaging 10.3 points per game, and he should see an expanded role with Leonard likely sitting out the second night of a back-to-back.

Coffey is shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 43.3 percent from 3 in the 2024-25 season, and he’s cleared 9.5 points in 21 of his 40 games. Now, he gets a great matchup with a Bulls team that plays at a fast pace and ranks 29th in the league in opponent points per game.

Bulls vs. Clippers Prediction and Pick

There isn’t a single team in the NBA better than the Clippers as home favorites, as Los Angeles is 10-2 against the spread after last night’s 14-point win over the Lakers.

Meanwhile, the Bulls have dropped to 7-8 against the spread as road underdogs, and they struggled against the lowly Blazers on Sunday.

When it comes to the second night of a back-to-back, Chicago is an NBA-worst 1-6 against the spread, posting an average scoring margin of -10.7 points per game in those contests.

Overall, the Bulls' defense is the main concern in this matchup. Chicago allows the second most points in the league and is just 23rd in defensive rating. Since the Bulls’ offense is about league average (16th in offensive rating), it can’t always overcome the defensive efficiencies it’s had this season.

I expect that to be the case against this elite Clippers defense (No. 2 in the NBA in defensive rating), which is allowing just 106.5 points per game.

As long as James Harden, Norman Powell, and Ivican Zubac are good to go on Monday, I love the Clippers to cover.

Pick: Clippers -5.5 (-112)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.