Bulls in Thick of Playoff Hunt as Division Rival Bucks Visit
Bucks vs Bulls Preview: Milwaukee Climbs to 4-Point Favorite
As we hit the final full month of the NBA regular season, the Milwaukee Bucks remain an unfinished product — elite offensively but flawed on defense. With an eye on fixing that, they visit the rival Chicago Bulls on Friday (10 p.m. ET).
The Bucks opened as 3.5-point favorites and have climbed to -4 on the NBA line at -112 odds. They are also -180 on the moneyline, while the Bulls are priced +150 to win outright. Meanwhile, the projected total has dropped from 223 to 221.5, with a slight edge to the Over at -112 odds.
What can bettors expect? Read on as we break down both teams and assess the betting odds in our Bucks vs Bulls preview.
Bucks vs Bulls 
Day/Time:
Location: United Center; Chicago
Streaming: ESPN, ESPN+
Bucks vs Bulls Betting Trends
The Milwaukee Bucks are 25-35 ATS, including 12-17 away from home. Milwaukee’s games have trended toward the Under, as the Bucks are 29-30-1 against the Over/Under. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls are 31-27-1, including 15-14-1 at home. As for the Over/Under, the Bulls are 32-27.
Keep these trends in mind when assessing the betting odds in our Bucks vs Bulls preview.
Milwaukee Trending Up
The Bucks have begun to pick up the pace after an inauspicious start to February, winning four straight and six of their last eight games. They are now 39-21, tied with Cleveland for the Central Division lead but eight games behind top-seeded Boston in the Eastern Conference.
Milwaukee is coming off a home-and-home sweep of Charlotte. Giannis Antetokounmpo had a team-high 24 points and 10 rebounds in Thursday’s 111-99 victory, as the Bucks hit 16 3-pointers and narrowly covered the 11.5-point spread.
Oddsmakers are bullish on the Bucks, pricing them +290 to win the East and +650 to win the NBA Finals. At the moment, only three teams have shorter NBA title odds: Celtics (+255), Clippers (+475) and Nuggets (+475).
In Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, the All-Star Game MVP, Milwaukee has an elite one-two punch. The duo has combined to average 55.0 points per game, accounting for over 45% of the team’s scoring. At least one of the two has been the Bucks’ top scorer in 55 of their 60 games.
As a team, the Bucks rank second in the league in scoring (121.6) and fourth in shooting percentage (49.4). However, their defense continues to lag, allowing an average of 117.7 points. That pits the Bucks bottom 10 in the NBA defensively.
The Bucks have covered in four of their last five games but are still just 25-35 ATS. Only three NBA teams have covered at a lower rate than Milwaukee (41.6%). That is important to remember when analyzing the betting odds in our Bucks vs Bulls preview.
Encouraging Marks from Young Bulls
Could the Bulls sneak into the postseason despite a sub-.500 record? It is certainly possible.
As the calendar flips to March, the 28-31 Bulls are sitting ninth in the East, two games up on Atlanta for the final spot in the postseason play-in tournament. For what it’s worth, oddsmakers have the Bulls +300 to make the NBA playoffs.
Chicago is coming off a 132-123 double-overtime victory over Cleveland on Wednesday. The Bulls — 5.5-point underdogs — got 35 points and 10 rebounds from DeMar DeRozan and 17 points and 26 rebounds from Andre Drummond.
DeRozan is the Bulls’ top scorer, averaging 22.9 points on 46.7% shooting. However, Chicago has also gotten strong production from its young backcourt of Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, both of whom have stepped up in the absence of Zach LaVine (season-ending foot surgery). The Bulls went 5-5 in February to stay a step ahead of fellow playoff hopefuls Atlanta and Brooklyn.
Chicago ranks 25th in the NBA in scoring (111.9) and 22nd in shooting percentage (46.4). However, it has picked up the pace offensively of late, surpassing that total in eight of its last 11 NBA games. Conversely, the Bulls are tied for 12th in defensive scoring (113.1).
The Bulls have covered in six of their last nine contests and are 31-27-1 ATS on the season. As for the projected total, the Bulls have hit the Over 32 times at a rate of 55.2%. Only Oklahoma City (58.9%) has gone Over the total with more frequency.
Handicapping the Game
This is the last of four regular-season meetings between these teams. Two of the previous three went to overtime, with Chicago winning 120-113 on Nov. 30 and Milwaukee returning the favor 133-129 on Dec. 11. The Bulls — 1-2 against Milwaukee — squandered a 41-point performance from DeRozan in the last matchup, as Milwaukee shot 51.2% from the floor and hit 15 3-pointers.
Antetokounmpo one of the best NBA players, is averaging 31 points and 12.3 rebounds against Chicago this season. He played 33 minutes on Thursday, so he should have no limitations on the backend of this back-to-back.
Meanwhile, guard Khris Middleton remains out indefinitely with an ankle injury.
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