Milwaukee Bucks - Chicago Bulls: Match Preview, Stats, & Much More | 28 April

The battle lines are drawn and we will be moving towards the second round of the NBA Playoffs. One thing is clear, the higher-ranked teams have shown that they acquired these ranks for a reason and despite a few hiccups, we have seen the higher-ranked teams seal advantages. In the West, the Warriors, Mavericks, Suns, and Grizzlies are all one win away. The Heat and the Celtics have advanced, the 76ers are close. and the Milwaukee Bucks are close too. The Bucks will host the Chicago Bulls here as they are just one game away from winning.

Total: Bookmakers from 22bet suggest that Total Over/Under 217.5 has the odds of 1.90. The totals in the last four games have been 179, 224, 192, and 214, this is mostly because the Bulls have scored 100 in three of the four games. The Bucks have scored 110 or more in three games straight which has caused toe total to go beyond 180 mostly. I believe the total will be Over here. (Total Over 217.5 for 1.90)

Player Props: Bookmakers at bet365 predict odds of 1.80 for Bobby Portis going Over 14.5 Points here(At least 15 Points). Bobby has scored 14, 18, and 2 in the last three games. Bobby’s minutes have increased in the last few games because of the injury to Khris Middleton. I believe Portis will rise up here and I believe he will go Over here.. (Player Props: Player Points: Bobby Portis Over 14.5)

Handicap: Bookmakers at 1xbet give the Bucks an overwhelming edge here and the handicap of 12.0 is in their favor. The Bucks have beaten the Bulls by 24 points and 30 points in the last two games. The Bucks’ defense has totally taken over the Bulls on the defensive end and they have also ridden the hot hand of Grayson Allen. I believe the handicap here is 14.5. (Handicap 1 -14.5 for 2.29)

This game can be seen on the NBA League Pass.

The Bucks have completely shut down the Bulls in the last two games and in three of the four games, they have held them below 40% field goal while also limiting their three-point efficiency. The Bucks have also outrebounded the Bulls more often than not and of course having Giannis Antetokounmpo help the matters quite a bit. Talking about Giannis, he continues to wreak havoc and has scored a bunch of points, and has also acted as a more than dependable playmaker and defender. Bobby Portis has been accustomed to being a starter and he has delivered well in that capacity. It is the play of Grayson Allen, who has stacked 20+ points in the last two games, making life hell for the Bulls.

Bulls’ offense has taken a holiday once again and this is just like how the second half of the season was for them. They have been unable to get going due to their over-dependency upon DeMar DeRozan, who hasn’t been terrible but has had only one 30+ points night and for a team that needs him during every game, it hasn’t been enough. Zach LaVine has developed himself as a terrific passer but he hasn’t been able to carry the load. Nikola Vucevic has recurring shooting issues while Patrick Williams did have 20 points in the last game but he isn’t usually a high-yielding scorer. The Bulls’ defense has not been enough to keep up against the ball-movement of the Bucks. 

• Bucks most likely starting five: PG: Jrue Holiday | SG: Wesley Matthews | PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo | C: Bobby Portis | C: Brook Lopez Key Bench Players: Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton, Jevon Carter;
• Bulls most likely starting five: PG: Ayo Dosunmu | PG: Coby White | SF: DeMar DeRozan | PF: Patrick Williams | C: Nikola Vucevic Key Bench Player: JaVonte Green