New FanDuel customers in Illinois can turn a $2 bet into $150 if they choose a winning NBA team on Tuesday or Wednesday night.
That’s $150 cash, not site credit. Most sportsbook promotions typically offer site credit.
To take advantage, you can sign up for FanDuel in Illinois by clicking on this special offer link.
Once you’ve downloaded the app and created your account, you must visit FanDuel Sportsbook & Horse Racing in Collinsville to validate your account. Yes, Illinois still has in-person registration.
Once that’s taken care of, you can place a moneyline bet on any NBA team that plays on Tuesday or Wednesday night. If you choose a winner, that $2 NBA wager at FanDuel will become $150.
The promotion is available now and expires at noon on Wednesday. There are two NBA games on Tuesday night, with most teams (including the Chicago Bulls) opening their 2021 season on Wednesday.
Here’s what Bulls’ bettors could expect Wednesday against the Pistons and the season as a whole.
Chicago Bulls betting odds
Here are the Bulls odds at online sportsbooks in Illinois:
As for Wednesday against the Pistons, the Bulls are consensus road favorites.
Chicago had its splashiest offseason in quite a while. The Bulls added Lonzo Ball and DeMar DeRozan via sign-and-trades and pried Alex Caruso away from the Lakers in free agency. That’s after Chicago landed All-Star center Nikola Vucevic at last year’s trade deadline.
And if you put any stock into the preseason, you’re high on the Bulls for 2021-22. Chicago went 4-0, and while they were exhibition games, the team’s regulars played significant minutes. For example, Zach LaVine played in all four contests and averaged 29 minutes per game.
Patrick Williams‘ injured ankle looks healthy enough to play on opening night, and Chicago’s full starting lineup will be intact. For the first time in a long time, positive vibes are surrounding the Bulls.
And yet, in the revamped Eastern Conference, Chicago isn’t expected to make much meaningful noise. At DraftKings Sportsbook, for instance, the Bulls’ over/under win total sits at 43.5, which would be a shade above .500. It would probably be good for a late Playoff seed.
Defense is a real concern for the Bulls. Vucevic, DeRozan and LaVine are iffy defenders at best, and that might be generous. There will be a lot of defensive pressure on Ball and Williams. The good news is that this team should be able to score.
Though on the defense, it’s important to keep head coach Billy Donovan’s track record in mind. The Bulls finished 12th in defensive efficiency in their first year despite poor personnel. In Oklahoma City, Donovan’s teams finished no worse than 10th in his final three seasons.
As is usually the case in the NBA, whether the Bulls go over or under that win total will be largely contingent on health. But if the Bulls can stay healthy, this should be their best team since the Jimmy Butler era.
Line has moved toward Bulls vs. Pistons
The Bulls were favored by three earlier in the week, but that line has crept up to +3.5 and +4 at sportsbooks in Illinois.
Here are the best Chicago vs. Detroit odds at Illinois sportsbooks:
No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham will make his NBA debut on Wednesday night. With that said, the Pistons figure to be one of the worst teams in the league. Their over/under win total at DraftKings is 25.5.
Still, homecourt advantage matters in the NBA, so the Bulls are only slight favorites.
For the purposes of the FanDuel NBA promotion, it might make sense to bet on the team expected to win by the most. The Utah Jazz take that claim, as they are 12-point favorites against the Thunder on Wednesday.
With football, hockey and the MLB playoffs, there is already plenty of action to bet on at sportsbooks in Illinois. Now, we’re adding another high-volume sport to the mix.
