Lakers vs Bulls NBA Summer League Prediction: Los Angeles Looks to Stay Unbeaten Against Caleb Wilson and Chicago
The Lakers are 3-0 in Las Vegas and face Caleb Wilson's red-hot Bulls on Thursday. Get our full odds breakdown, key stats, and best bet for Lakers vs Bulls Summer League action.
The 2026 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas hits another marquee slot Thursday night when the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Chicago Bulls at Thomas & Mack Center, with tip-off set for 6:00 PM ET on Prime Video. Worth remembering up front: this is Summer League, not the regular season, so both rosters look far different than the teams you’ll see this fall. Think second-year prospects looking to lock down rotation spots, undrafted hopefuls auditioning for two-way deals, and this year’s rookie class getting its first extended run in an NBA uniform.
The Lakers arrive unbeaten. Los Angeles is 3-0 through its first three games in Vegas after wins over the Thunder, Mavericks and Clippers, capped by a 99-85 dismantling of their crosstown rivals on Tuesday. The Bulls, by contrast, have had a bumpier ride. Chicago opened with a gut-punch loss to Memphis before rebounding for a win over Washington, sitting at 1-2 heading into Thursday. But their record undersells how much buzz they’ve generated, largely thanks to one player who’s already turned heads across the league.
What the Betting Market Is Saying
Oddsmakers have made the Lakers clear favorites here, and it’s not particularly close. Los Angeles opened as roughly 3.5-point favorites before the line moved to Lakers -4.5, with the total sitting at 181.5 points. On the moneyline, the Lakers are priced around -170 with the Bulls getting +142. That gap reflects both the results on the floor so far — an unbeaten Lakers group against a Bulls team still searching for consistency — and Los Angeles’ deeper, more balanced rotation through three games. Bettors looking for value may want to zero in on the total, since both teams have shown they can get out and score in transition, and neither defense has looked particularly stout through Vegas so far.
Caleb Wilson’s Explosive Debut Changes the Equation
No storyline out of Las Vegas has been bigger than Caleb Wilson’s arrival. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft out of North Carolina dropped a stunning 35 points in his Summer League debut against Memphis, a performance believed to be the highest-scoring debut in the event’s history. Wilson hit 7 of 11 three-point attempts that night, an eye-opening number for a big man many scouted primarily as an interior force. He followed that up with 19 points and eight rebounds in Chicago’s win over Washington, giving him back-to-back strong showings to open his pro career. If the Bulls are going to hang with an unbeaten Lakers squad, Wilson’s scoring burst is the most obvious path.
He won’t be doing it alone. Jaylin Sellers, a two-way signee out of Providence, has been Chicago’s most consistent all-around contributor, pouring in 24 points with three assists and three steals in the win over the Wizards after posting 15 points and four assists against Memphis. Tobe Awaka, an undrafted big man out of Arizona, has quietly been a difference-maker on the glass and on D — he had 14 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and two blocks against Washington. Kennedy Chandler has run the point steadily, and first-round pick Dailyn Swain has chipped in across the box score, though the Bulls’ free-throw shooting (13 of 25 in the opener) has been a recurring issue worth tracking.
On the other side, the Lakers have gotten balanced production rather than one dominant scorer. Cameron Carr, a 2026 second-round selection out of Baylor, exploded for 23 points on 8-of-18 shooting in the Clippers win, hitting a big three off an Adou Thiero assist late in that blowout. Thiero himself, a second-year wing who’s carried his strong Summer League form from a year ago right into this one, has scored in double figures in four straight outings dating back to earlier exhibition play, and he added 13 points, six rebounds and three assists against the Clippers. Chris Mañon has been a steady double-double threat at forward, while Arthur Kaluma and AK Okereke have given Los Angeles scoring depth off the bench. As a team, the Lakers shot 48% from the field and 38% from three against the Clippers, numbers that would translate to a real problem for any Bulls defense that struggles to contain dribble penetration.
The head-to-head numbers so far tell a clear story: Los Angeles has outscored its three opponents by a wide margin, including a 24-point blowout of the Clippers, while Chicago has needed fourth-quarter execution just to get to 1-2. Wilson’s scoring gives the Bulls a puncher’s chance in any game, but Summer League success is often about depth and turnovers as much as star power, and that’s where the Lakers currently have the edge.
Other Game Picks
Prediction and Best Bet
Both teams can score in bunches, but Los Angeles’ balance and defensive rebounding numbers give it the edge in a game that should stay competitive into the second half thanks to Wilson’s shot-making. Expect the Lakers’ depth to eventually pull away in the fourth quarter, similar to how they finished off the Clippers.
| Wed, Oct 21 • 10:10 PM | Spread | Money | Total |
| Golden State Warriors |  +5.5 (-115) | +158 |  O 235.5 (-110) |
| Los Angeles Lakers | -5.5 (-105) |  -166 | U 235.5 (-110) |
- Prediction: Los Angeles Lakers 96, Chicago Bulls 88
- Best Bet: Lakers -4.5
The Lakers have been the most complete team in Las Vegas through three games, and unless Caleb Wilson goes off for another 30-plus outburst, Los Angeles’ rebounding and depth advantage should be enough to cover a manageable number against a Bulls team still finding its footing.
For bettors following along at home, this game is a good reminder of why shopping for value matters even in Summer League action — lines can move fast on buzz alone, and Wilson’s viral debut has undoubtedly influenced how books are pricing Chicago. Anyone looking to get a bet down on this one or explore markets beyond just the spread should check out the latest DraftKings promo code or compare offers with the FanDuel promo code before kickoff.
Beyond the point spread, the total is worth another look. At 181.5, the number accounts for two rosters that have shown scoring punch in flashes — Wilson’s 35-point outburst and the Lakers’ 99-point showing against the Clippers both point to an over-friendly environment, even against Summer League-caliber defense. Bettors weighing the total alongside the spread might also want to browse the BetMGM promo code or the Caesars Sportsbook promo code for additional markets on this game and others across the Las Vegas slate.
As for individual honors, Wilson remains squarely in the mix for Summer League MVP conversations if Chicago can string together a couple more wins, while Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero have quietly built the strongest case on the Lakers’ side. Neither team’s Summer League roster will look identical to what fans see when the regular season tips off in October, but for evaluators and bettors alike, Thursday’s matchup offers a legitimate gauge of which young core is trending in the right direction. If you’re building out parlays across the night’s slate, it’s worth pairing this pick with value from the Fanatics Sportsbook promo code as well, since Summer League props and alternate lines tend to carry solid number across multiple books.
Bottom line: the Lakers have been the best team in Las Vegas through three games, and Chicago’s breakout rookie alone probably isn’t enough to flip this one. Take Los Angeles to build on its unbeaten record, but keep an eye on the total given how both offenses have trended so far this week.