Chicago Bulls vs Milwaukee Bucks 03/22/2022 NBA Preview, and Prediction

The Chicago Bulls visit the defending NBA champions, Milwaukee Bucks, at the Fiserv Forum on Monday night in a battle between Central Division teams.

Chicago has slumped to 5th place in the Eastern Conference with their 42-29 SU record. The Bulls are just 3-7 SU in their last 10 games played and they just snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Toronto Raptors on Monday night. That means that Chicago will be playing in back-to-back nights and have to travel from Toronto to Milwaukee overnight.

Milwaukee is currently the third seed in the East although they, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Boston Celtics are all 2.5 games behind the first-place Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference team standings. The Bucks are 8-2 in their last 10 games played although they are coming off a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in their last outing.

The Bucks are currently two games ahead of the Bulls in the Central Division and would want to create that separation with the regular season winding down. These teams have played twice so far this season with the Bucks taking both games, including a 118-112 win in their most recent head-to-head matchup.

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls snapped their three-game losing skid with a win against the Toronto Raptors on Monday night. DeMar DeRozan waxed hot with 26 points on 11-14 shooting while Zach LaVine also scored 26 points with 6 rebounds and 6 assists for the Bulls. Big man Nikola Vucevic added a double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds.

They are 38-32-1 ATS this season but have covered the betting spread just once in their last nine games played. The Bulls also have an over/under record of 34-35-1 this season with the total hitting over only once in their last eight games played.

Chicago is the no. 10 best scoring team in the NBA at 112.0 points per game this season. They are 28th in rebounding at 42.8 boards grabbed per contest and are 6th in passing at 24.1 assists per game. The Bulls rank 16th in scoring defense at 111.2 points per game allowed this season.

Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee got blown out by 19 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves the last time out. The Bucks were without Giannis Antetokounmpo who was resting an injury. Without Giannis, it was Khris Middleton who was supposed to be their go-to guy but Middleton scored only 15 points on 13 shots taken. Brook Lopez also scored 15 with four rebounds while Jrue Holiday added 14 points and 7 assists.

They are just 33-38 ATS this season but covered in six of seven games before losing to the Timberwolves the last time out. Milwaukee has an over/under record of 36-35 on the season with their last two outings hitting the over.

The Bucks are the no. 3 highest-scoring team in the NBA this season at 114.9 points per game. They are also ranked 2nd in rebounding at 46.8 boards grabbed per contest. The Bucks are 18th in passing at 23.6 assists per game and are 17th in scoring defense at 111.3 points per game conceded this year.

Who Wins?

The Bulls are 3-8 SU in their last 11 games played. Chicago is 1-6 SU in their last seven road games but 7-2 SU in their last nine games against the Central Division. Milwaukee is 8-2 SU in their last 10 games played. The Bucks are 4-1 SU in their last five games played at home.

Chicago is just 3-6 SU in the month of March, with all their losses coming while playing on the road. The Bulls are just 3-7 SU in their last 10 games played and they are struggling at the wrong time. They have now dropped to 5th in the East and are just 1.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the team standings.

Milwaukee is coming off a loss to Minnesota but the Bucks are still 8-2 SU in their last 10 games played. The Bucks are battling it out with the Sixers and Celtics for the 2nd seed in the East and with the three teams all tied up right now, Milwaukee wants to win this game badly to move ahead.

The Bulls are coming off a win over the Raptors on Monday night but they will be in for a treat with Giannis expected to return to the Bucks after sitting out with knee soreness. With Antetokounmpo back, the Bucks should take care of business here.

Prediction: Chicago Bulls

Other Bets To Make

The Bulls are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games played. Chicago is 0-7 ATS in their last seven road games, 7-19 ATS in their last 26 games as road underdogs, 5-16 ATS in their last 21 games as betting underdogs, 5-16-1 ATS in their last 22 road games, 1-4 ATS in their last five road games against an opponent with a winning percentage better than .600, 1-6 ATS in their last seven games against an opponent with a winning straight up record, and 0-5 ATS in their last five road games against an opponent with a winning home record.

The Bucks are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games played. Milwaukee is 6-2 ATS in their last eight games played on March, 8-1 ATS in their last nine Tuesday games, 5-1 ATS in their last six games as betting favorites, 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games against an opponent with a winning SU record, 2-6 ATS in their last eight games when playing on two-days rest, and 0-4 ATS after a road trip of seven or more days.

The Bucks are coming off a disappointing loss to the Timberwolves but obviously, getting Giannis back is a big thing here and should be the difference in the game. Chicago is slumping at the wrong time and it’s clear that they are missing Lonzo Ball’s presence on both offense and defense.

The Bulls are 3-8 since the All-Star break and all their eight losses have been by at least six points Milwaukee meanwhile, recently beat Phoenix and Miami and is definitely in better form the Chicago. With Antetokounmpo back, Milwaukee should be able to control this game from both sides of the court.

Chicago could be winded after playing tough defense in Monday’s win over the Raptors. Milwaukee will be getting a shot in the arm with Giannis back. The Bucks should be too hot to handle for the slumping Bulls.

Prediction: Bucks -6.5

The total has gone under in seven out of the last eight games played by the Bulls. The under is 7-1 in their last eight Tuesday games, 4-1 in their last five games against an opponent with a winning record, 4-1 in their last five games on the road, 5-2 in their last seven games as betting underdogs, 14-6-1 ATS in their last 21 games as road underdogs, 15-7-1 ATS in their last 23 games against an opponent with a winning home record.

The total has gone over in 13 out of the last 18 games played by the Bucks. The over is 5-1 in their last six Tuesday games, 9-3 in their last 12 games as home favorites, 9-3 in their last 12 home games overall, 11-4 in their last 15 games as betting favorites, 6-2 in their last eight games when playing on two days rest, 5-0 in their last five home games against an opponent with a winning straight up record.

This game has the makings of a shootout with both teams playing better on offense than defense this season. They are also in the Top 12 in the league in possessions per game.

Chicago is missing Lonzo Ball but with the likes of LaVine and DeRozan, they still have plenty of prime-time scoring players and that’s the reason why they are still 12th in the league in scoring. The Bucks meanwhile are the third highest-scoring team in the NBA

Defensively, the Bucks and Bulls are in the bottom half at 16th and 17th respectively. Chicago has given up at least 125 points in two out of their last three games while the Bucks have conceded at least 122 points in three out of their last four games played. This one should hit the over with Giannis returning to action.

Prediction: Over 231.5

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