NBA playoff picture: Bulls odds to make 2024 postseason at All-Star break

The Chicago Bulls chose to stay put at the 2024 trade deadline and hope their current roster is able to find another gear in an effort to make a deep playoff run. The Bulls have seemingly locked themselves into the current core, much to the chagrin of fans, and that core appears destined to see the play-in tournament once again.

Here’s a look at Chicago’s odds to make the 2024 NBA playoffs at DraftKings Sportsbook and how bettors should approach this offering.

Chicago Bulls playoff odds: Yes (+360), No (-500)

The Bulls actually don’t have an easy schedule to close out the year, which means even the play-in tournament isn’t completely a lock. Chicago has four games against Detroit and Washington combined, but there aren’t too many other contests where the Bulls would be favored. A game late in the season against the Nets could loom large for play-in positioning. At the moment, the Bulls are two games up on the Hawks and 4.5 games up on Nets in the standings. Brooklyn is the 11th seed, so Chicago does have some breathing room. The Bulls are 4.5 games back of the sixth and final automatic playoff berth.

Pick: No

Zach LaVine is done for the season, Lonzo Ball is not coming back as some sort of savior and the Bulls have been too inconsistent to bank on. Chicago nearly came out of the play-in tournament last season before collapsing late against the Heat, but asking this team to win two elimination games in a row is tough ask. The Bulls appear to have accepted their ceiling with this current group and seem alright with a play-in berth. Of course there will be motivation to advance to the playoffs but I don’t see this squad doing that.