NBA picks: Bulls vs. Lakers prediction, odds, over/under, spread, injury report for Thursday, Jan. 25

We have a battle of two ninth-place teams in their respective conferences this evening as the Chicago Bulls visit the Los Angeles Lakers at 10:30 p.m. ET.

Chicago (21-24) is back in action after falling to the Suns in a 115-113 heartbreaker on Monday. The Bulls squandered a seven-point lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter and were clipped by a go-ahead jumper from Kevin Durant with 1.1 seconds remaining. Los Angeles (22-23) lost the battle of LA on Tuesday, falling in a 127-116 setback “at” the Clippers. The Lakers did not have LeBron James in this one and trailed for nearly the entire game as the Clippers shot 59.1% from the field.

On the injury front, James (ankle) and Anthony Davis (Achilles) are both listed as questionable for the Lakers while Cam Reddish (ankle) has been ruled out. For the Bulls, Zach LaVine (ankle) will miss his third straight game while Patrick Williams (ankle) is probable.

Los Angeles enters the game as a 4.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, accompanied by a total of 228.5. The Lakers are listed as a -192 moneyline favorite, making the Bulls a +160 underdog.

Bulls vs. Lakers, 10:30 p.m. ET

Pick ATS: Lakers -4.5

I expect somewhat of a close game this evening as both teams are coming off losses and are trying to establish some momentum at the end of the month. However, with James possibly back on the floor tonight, I’ll lean towards the home team covering this evening.

Over/Under: Over 228.5

228.5 is a low bar to clear for two tams that have slightly leaned over for the year. While I don’t expect a track meet tonight, I do think that the over will cash at Crypto.com Arena this evening.