The Milwaukee Bucks look to move up to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference as they travel approximately 100 miles south to face the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. Milwaukee (39-21) enters off a 111-99 road victory in Charlotte last night, while Chicago (28-31) upset Cleveland in double overtime on Wednesday, 132-123. The Bucks have won two of the teams' three matchups this season, with each of the last two games going to overtime. Milwaukee is 25-35 against the spread, while Chicago is 31-27-1 ATS in 2023-24.
Tipoff is set for 10 p.m. ET at the United Center in Chicago. Milwaukee is favored by 4 points in the latest Bulls vs. Bucks odds, and the over/under is 221.5 points. Before entering any Bucks vs. Bulls picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 19 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 63-39 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $2,200. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Milwaukee vs. Chicago. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Bucks vs. Bulls:
- Bulls vs. Bucks spread: Bucks -4
- Bulls vs. Bucks over/under: 221.5 points
- Bulls vs. Bucks money line: Bucks -177, Bulls +148
- Bulls vs. Bucks picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Bucks can cover
Milwaukee seems to be hitting its stride, having won all four of its games since the All-Star Break. Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to dominate nearly each and every game, averaging 30.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per night. Against the Hornets in each of the last two contests, he's scored exactly 24 points while playing slightly reduced minutes as the Bucks were comfortably ahead.
Star guard Damian Lillard has been a welcome addition to Milwaukee's lineup this season, posting averages of 24.4 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.4 rebounds nightly. Against the Bulls this season, he has scuffled slightly, only scoring 14.7 points per game while dishing out nine assists. In what should be a highly competitive game once again between these two teams, Lillard will need to up his game on the second of a back-to-back for Milwaukee. See which team to pick here.
Why the Bulls can cover
DeMar DeRozan made 17 of 19 free throws en route to a 35-point performance in the dramatic victory over Cleveland on Wednesday night. He also grabbed 10 rebounds as Chicago out-rebounded its foe 74-39 in the victory. Despite only averaging 22.9 points and 5.2 assists, DeRozan has exceeded those numbers in two games this season against the Bucks. Thus far he has averaged 26 points and nine assists against Milwaukee, which once again would go a long way in the hopes of pulling off the home upset tonight.
The Bulls used a starting lineup of two centers on Wednesday night, and it worked to perfection as they dominated the boards against the Cavaliers. Nikola Vucevic scored 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, while Andre Drummond added 17 points and an impressive 26 rebounds in the team's win. It will be interesting to see whether having both big men on the court simultaneously will work similarly as well against Milwaukee, which could be without Khris Middleton (ankle). See which team to pick here.
How to make Bucks vs. Bulls picks
The model has simulated Milwaukee vs. Chicago 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it's also generated a point-spread pick where one side of the spread well over 50% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
Who wins Bulls vs. Bucks, and which side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see the picks, all from the model that is on an 63-39 roll on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.
