Defending Champs on Roll
The Milwaukee Bucks will look to continue their dominance over the Central Division rival Chicago Bulls when the pair meet at the Fiserv Forum.
These two teams have been trending in the opposite direction since the All-Star break, with the Bucks now two games clear of their division rivals after having trailed them by 2½ games barely a month ago.
Here’s our NBA betting preview on the Bucks vs Bulls as we look at form, injuries, odds and more.
Let’s check the latest news, stats, injury reports, and NBA odds for Bulls vs Bucks. We’ve plenty of predictions for you to consider.
Bucks Finding Playoff Groove
The Bucks have returned from the All-Star break by asserting their dominance over the Eastern Conference.
Mike Budenholzer’s team is 4-1 against teams in the East since the break and are inching closer to securing a top-two seed in the conference and another division title.
As mentioned in previewing this Bucks team before, health is naturally the biggest point of difference for Milwaukee since the turbulent opening months.
Their offensive identity seems to have been rediscovered as well and that’s what makes this team the formidable force that hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy to finish last season.
In the opening month of the season, the Bucks ranked 22nd in points per 100 possessions (105.6) and were 21st in offensive efficiency. Fast forward to the start of this calendar year and you can see where things started to click for the team.
Since Jan. 1, they are fourth in points per 100 possessions (117.6), fourth in offensive efficiency, fourth in turnover percentage and fifth in free throw rate per game.
When the Bucks are executing their offense at this level, they become an entirely different proposition for teams to deal with, but that also involves having all their pieces healthy in order to do so.
Khris Middleton is out for this game and Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the injury report as well, but he is listed as probable.
Milwaukee owns a +5.4 point differential per 100 possessions when Middleton is on the floor. In games he’s missed, the Bucks are 5-7 straight up with a -7.0 point differential.
Bulls Looking to Piece it Together
Things have really gotten rocky for the Chicago Bulls over the past month as they continue to slide down the pecking order in the east.
After fighting for the top spot in the East for much of the season Chicago is staring at the very real possibility that they won’t even have home court for the first round of the playoffs.
The team is 4-8 in their last 12 games and are a horrible 3-9 ATS in the process, highlighting the fact that the sportsbook oddsmakers are having a tough time accurately pricing this team.
The return of Alex Caruso hasn’t quite yielded positive returns in terms of results, but the balance in the team is slowly being renewed. With the announcement that Patrick Williams could start full contact training in a couple weeks, there’s certainly reason for some level of optimism for the team.
The biggest concern for the Bulls has been their inability to get stops when it matters most. They have far too often leaned on tDeMar DeRozan in the clutch to help them pull out unlikely wins.
This game marks the start of another brutal five-game road trip and the schedule is one of the toughest remaining in the league to close out the regular season.
A pivotal win at a division rival could be the spark they need to get them going again and push for a top-four seed in the East, especially after they were able to secure a much-needed 113-99 win against Toronto.
Bulls vs Bucks Head-to-Head
The Milwaukee Bucks secured an important win in Chicago earlier this month as they ran out 118-112 winners to help reclaim top spot in the division.
That was the second win for Milwaukee in this season series, with the Bucks also emerging victorious 94-90 on their home court back in January.
This series has long been dominated by Milwaukee, with Chicago’s win in this building late last season snapping a 12-game win streak for the Bucks. Prior to that, Milwaukee had won nine straight games in this building.
Bucks vs Bulls Game Information
- Game: Milwaukee Bucks(44-27) v Chicago Bulls (42-29)
- Location: Fiserv Forum
- Day/Time: Tuesday 8 p.m. ET
- Live stream: NBA Game Pass
Bucks vs Bulls Betting Lines
Bucks vs Bulls Prediction
The Milwaukee Bucks are undoubtedly rolling, but the first game back off a West Coast road trip is always a tough spot for Eastern Conference teams. Doing so without your second top-scorer is an even tougher task, especially given how Chicago matches up offensively here.
I don’t envision Chicago sitting anyone in this spot. They had a couple days off before this back-to-back and their starters were kept to respectable minutes against Toronto.
We’ve seen how jagged Milwaukee’s offense can look when removing one of Antetokounmpo, Middleton or Jrue Holiday from the starting lineup and the schedule spot doesn’t lend itself too kindly for the team either.
If you’re betting online for this game, the best value is to take the points on the road team down to a flat 5.0 handicap.
Barring any significant changes to the Bulls lineup, this could be one of the best NBA bets on Tuesday.
