Chicago Bulls at Milwaukee Bucks Betting Preview

In what could be a playoff preview in the Eastern Conference, the Chicago Bulls (42-29) will take on the Milwaukee Bucks (44-27) Tuesday night. The Bucks will host this game at Fiserv Forum, with tipoff scheduled for 8:00 pm ET.

This will be the third time that these two teams have played with the Bucks, having taken the first two games. The last time these two played, on March 4, Milwaukee won 118-112.

For the Bulls, this will be the second game of a back-to-back. On Monday, they took down the Toronto Raptors 113-99. In the win, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan both scored 26 points, while Nikola Vucevic had a double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds.

For the Bucks, they are trying to bounce back from a 138-119 road loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. In the loss, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, and Pat Connaughton all scored 15 in a game that Giannis Antetokounmpo did not play in.

The Bucks are the favorites in this one playing at home. They are -240 to win while the Bulls’ moneyline sits at +198. The spread features Chicago +6 (-112), and the over/under for total points is 231.

More Odds

Milwaukee currently has the second-best odds of winning the Eastern Conference at +290. The Bulls are +2200 to win the conference.

In terms of the NBA Finals, the Bucks have the fourth-best odds of winning it at +650. The Bulls are +4800 to win it all.

By The Numbers

Milwaukee has one of the best offenses in the NBA. They currently rank third in scoring averaging 114.9 points per game. Chicago ranks 10th, averaging 112 points.

Defensively, these two are neck-and-neck. The Bulls rank 16th in scoring defense allowing opponents an average of 111.2 points per game. The Bucks rank 17th allowing 111.3 points.

Bulls Trying To Make It Two In A Row

After finally snapping a three-game losing streak Monday night, the Bulls will look to make it two in a row as they face a really tough Bucks team.

Leading the Bulls’ offense this season is small forward DeMar DeRozan. He is averaging 27.8 points per game on 50.3 percent shooting. He is also averaging 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.

The two other main threats for the Bulls are shooting guard Zach LaVine and center Nikola Vucevic. LaVine is averaging 24.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. It will be interesting to see his availability Tuesday night as he sometimes sits out one of the legs of a back-to-back to rest his injured knee.

For Vucevic, he is averaging a double-double with 17.9 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. He is also averaging 3.3 assists, a steal, and a block per game.

Bucks Trying To Make A Run At Eastern Conference Lead

Currently tied with the Philadelphia 76ers at 44-27, the Bucks are looking to overtake Philadelphia and make a run at the Miami Heat, who they sit 2.5 games back of. Milwaukee has been on quite a run lately as they are 8-2 in their last ten games.

Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to play at an MVP level. He is currently averaging 29.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. After sitting out last game with a knee injury, he is questionable for Tuesday night.

If Giannis is out, the Bucks will rely heavily on Khris Middleton (20.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists), Jrue Holiday (18.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.7 assists), and Bobby Portis (15.1 points, 9.1 rebounds) to fill the void.

Keep An Eye On Starters

This one boils down to who is in and who is out. If Giannis is able to play, taking the Bucks to win and cover is probably the best bet to make, given the Bulls will come into this one with tired legs.

If Giannis is out, Bulls +6 provides a ton of value. Also, check the availability of Zach LaVine in this one, but if the “Greek Freak” is out, Chicago will be sitting in a much better position.

At the end of the day, make sure to check who is in and who is out. Each team’s availability will determine which side to bet on.