The Milwaukee Bucks aim to build on their Game 1 success against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night. The Bucks host the Bulls for Game 2 of a best-of-seven series, and Milwaukee won the first matchup by seven points. The series will shift to Chicago for Game 3 later this week, leaving urgency on both sides. George Hill (abdominal) is out for Milwaukee, with Bobby Portis (calf) and Jordan Nwora (back) listed as probable. Lonzo Ball (knee) is out for Chicago.
Tip-off is at 9:30 p.m. ET in Milwaukee. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Bucks as 10-point home favorites, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 224 in the latest Bulls vs. Bucks odds. Before making any Bucks vs. Bulls picks, you need to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer model.
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 three-plus seasons. The model enters the first full week of the 2022 NBA playoffs on a stunning 86-56 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning almost $2,400. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Bulls vs. Bucks, and just revealed its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Bulls vs. Bucks:
- Bulls vs. Bucks spread: Bucks -10
- Bulls vs. Bucks over-under: 224 points
- Bulls vs. Bucks money line: Bucks -550, Bulls +400
- CHI: The Bulls are 5-5 against the spread in the last 10 games
- MIL: The Bucks are 4-6 against the spread in the last 10 games
Why the Bulls can cover
Chicago's offense is keyed by a pair of prolific scorers. DeMar DeRozan averaged 27.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game during the regular season, with Zach LaVine adding 24.4 points per game while shooting 38.9 percent from 3-point range. The Bulls score nearly 1.13 points per possession as a team, a strong overall figure, and Chicago ranks in the top four of the NBA in field goal accuracy (48.0 percent), 3-point accuracy (36.9 percent), and free throw accuracy (81.3 percent). The Bulls take care of the ball, committing only 12.8 turnovers per game, and Chicago generates 1.86 assists per turnover, a top-10 ratio in the NBA.
On the other end, the Bulls enjoyed real success against Milwaukee in Game 1. Chicago held the Bucks to less than a point per possession, with Milwaukee generating fewer assists than turnovers and giving the ball away on more than 20 percent of offensive possessions. The Bulls also ranked No. 6 in the NBA in 3-pointers allowed (11.7 per game) during the regular season.
Why the Bucks can cover
Milwaukee's defense excelled in Game 1. The Bucks held the Bulls to 0.86 points per possession, headlined by Chicago's top three scorers combining to shoot only 21-of-71 from the field. Chicago posted a 41.2 percent true shooting mark, and Milwaukee had all of the answers in that contest. For the full season, the Bucks allowed only 111.1 points per 100 possessions, and Milwaukee finished No. 2 in the NBA in defensive rebound rate (74.7 percent) during the regular season.
Milwaukee also landed in the top five of the league in free throw prevention, allowing 19.9 attempts per game. The Bucks allowed only 45.6 percent shooting from the field over 82 games, and Milwaukee ranked in the top eight of the NBA in fast break points allowed (11.5 per game) and points allowed in the paint (43.7 per game). On the other end, Milwaukee posted top-five marks in points per possession and 3-point shooting this season, also ranking above the NBA average in two-point shooting, free throw creation, and turnover prevention on offense.
How to make Bulls vs. Bucks picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the point total, projecting 223 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the model's Bucks vs. Bulls picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Bulls vs. Bucks? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Bulls vs. Bucks spread you need to jump on Wednesday, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
