Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls Game 5 Betting Preview: Odds, Picks, Best Series Bets and Props

Chicago Bulls vs. Milwaukee Bucks Game 5 Betting Preview

After two convincing blowouts in games 3 & 4, the Bucks head back to Milwaukee up 3-1 with a chance to close the series out. This game is being played on Wednesday, April 27th at 7:30 p.m. ET.

The Bucks were already massive favorites here, but with the news that Zach LaVine is going to miss game 5 due to health and safety protocols, that makes the Bucks even heavier favorites. The point spread is currently Bucks -11.5, with the over/under at 217.5

I figured this game was going to be a bloodbath even if LaVine played, but now that he’s been ruled out, I just don’t see a path in which the Bulls are able to keep this close.

After tying the series up 1-1 in game 2, in games 3 and 4, both at home for Bulls, they lost by 30 and 24 points, respectively. The Bucks were also missing Khris Middleton for both of those games too. Instead, the Bucks got huge performances from Grayson Allen and didn’t miss a beat.

Now, the Bucks are back home, up 3-1 with a chance to close the series out and face the Celtics in the second round. After playing with their food in games 1 and 2, I expect this Bucks team to come out focused and ready in game 5.

I think that this spread is aptly priced as high as it is. I was burned in game 2 thinking the Bucks were going to come out and destroy the Bulls, only to be validated with their performance in games 3 and 4.

My expectation is that this game is going to be closer to games 3 and 4 than games 1 and 2. LaVine being out for the Bulls certainly doesn’t help a team that has scored 95 points or fewer in 3 of the 4 games so far this series.

I’ll take the high spread and ride with the Bucks to keep on rolling. I bet the Bucks -11.5 on BetMGM.

Chicago Bulls vs. Milwaukee Bucks Game 5 Pick:

Bucks -11.5 | -115 odds at BetMGM Sportsbook.

Chicago Bulls vs. Milwaukee Bucks Game 5 Prediction:

My prediction is that the Bulls are going to win 113-89.

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls Game 4 Betting Preview

Following their 111-81 blowout win over the Bulls in Game 3, the Bucks have taken a 2-1 lead in the series and have demonstrated that, even with the loss of Khris Middleton, they’re still the odds-on favorite to win this matchup. 

While the Bulls were able to steal Game 2 on the road, that came on the heels of Middleton going out part way through the game and the havoc that played with the Bucks’ lineup and game plan. Not only that, but the Bulls’ win needed DeMar Derozan to score a whopping 41 points, a career high in the playoffs for the 32-year-old. Considering Derozan put up 18 points in Game 1 and 11 in Game 3, it seems far more likely that the Bucks defense will come out ahead against him here.

The Bucks are favorites, with the over/under set at 219.

Going into this series, I did expect it to be a four-game sweep for the Bucks, but Middleton’s injury was cause for concern coming out of Game 2. That concern has largely been alleviated as the Bucks immediately came out of the gate and came close to playing the Bulls off the court with a 33-17 first quarter. Going into Game 4, both of these teams have shown enough of who they are for us to confidently take the Bucks -6.5, available at PointsBet. 

I’ll also be taking Jrue Holiday under 8.5 assists, currently available for -120 at PointsBet. Through three games so far, his numbers have been remarkably consistent: 15/6/6 in G1, 15/6/6 in G2 and 16/5/6 in G3.

While his turnovers have fluctuated significantly, the Bucks’ system prevents either of their primary ball-handlers(Giannis Antetokounmpo and Holidau) from having the absurd assist numbers that can be seen on some other teams around the league. Additionally, the potential for another blowout in favor of the Bucks makes me confident that Holiday won’t have a particularly high-assist game.

We won’t be hitting the moneyline, but there’s value there if you share our belief that the Bucks should take a 3-1 lead in this series on Sunday.

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls Game 4 Pick:

Bucks -6.5 | +130 at PointsBet
Jrue Holiday Under 8.5 Assists | -120 at PointsBet

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls Game 4 Prediction:

The Bucks should take a 3-1 lead with a 116-103 win.

Chicago Bulls vs Milwaukee Bucks Game 3 Betting Preview

With the Bulls surprising upset win in game 2, the series is tied at 1-1, now heading to Chicago for two home games for the Bulls. Game 3 is being played on Friday, April 22nd at 8:30PM ET.

There is a lot to unpack here, but for starters the Bucks are still slight favorites, despite the loss and the injury to Khris Middleton. The point spread is Bucks -1.5, with the over/under set at 222.5.

Hand up, I had game 2 completely incorrect. I was expecting the Bucks to blow out the Bulls and for the series to be over in 4. So, yea, that was a big L.

The Bulls had been one of the worst teams in the NBA to end the season, but through two games so far they have looked like the Bulls of the beginning of the season.

While injuries definitely did have a big reason why the Bulls tanked over the second half of the season, they still struggled once they got Alex Caruso back. He didn’t nearly make the same impact he did at the beginning of the year.

Now, he looks awesome! He was everywhere in game 2, wreaking havoc on the defensive end and coming up with timely 3-pointers and 16 total points.

Of course, the headliner for the Bulls is DeMar and his 41 points in game 2. He finally broke out of his slump in a massive game for the Bulls.

On the Bucks side, they have legit concerns. That is two games in a row in which their offense hasn’t performed up to par, continuing the theme from last years playoffs. It gets glossed over because, you know, they won a championship, but their offense turned to sludge for the majority of last years playoff run.

Now, something similar is happening against the Bulls, and they also have to deal with an injury to Khris Middleton on top of that. His timetable is unclear, but he has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL and should figure to at least miss some time.

Overall, I had trouble with my prediction for this game. I want to continue to back the Bucks because they have the championship pedigree, but they do have legitimate concerns. I also struggle thinking the Bulls are all the way back after their dreadful end to the season.

So, I decided to sit out a play on the moneyline or spread, and instead take the under. I got under 223.5 on BetRivers Sportsbook.

I do really like this under as a great play. For starters, it is Positive Expected Value. The OddsJam Line has this total priced at 222.5, with the odds on 223.5 at -122. I was able to get it at -110 on BetRivers.

I also like this for basketball reasons. With the Bucks offense missing Middleton and becoming sludge-like again, coupled with their still decent defense, I love this under.

Chicago Bulls vs Milwaukee Bucks Game 3 Pick:

My official NBA betting pick for this game is to take the game total going under. I got this under 223.5 at -110 odds on BetRivers Sportsbook.

Chicago Bulls vs Milwaukee Bucks Game 3 Prediction:

My prediction for this game is that the Bucks win 109-108.

Milwaukee Bucks vs Chicago Bulls Game 2 Betting Preview

After a weirdly low scoring game 1, we stay in Milwaukee for game 2 of the Bucks vs Bulls series. This game is being played on Wednesday, April 20th at 9:30 PM ET.

Unsurprisingly, even after a close game 1, the Bucks are heavy favorites here. They are 10 point favorites, with the over/under still at the higher total of 225.

Game 1 was a pretty confounding game for me. I hammered the over, only for less than 190 points to be scored. 90’s basketball!

This was surprising to me because the Bulls were a pretty horrendous defensive team for most of the season, and especially at the defensive end. Meanwhile, the Bucks weren’t quite as stout as we’re used to seeing defensively as well. I thought they’d turn it on in the playoffs, but that it would take longer than game 1.

I wasn’t necessarily surprised that the game was close, and that is because the Bucks are generally slow to start playoff series, as detailed below in the game 1 preview below.

They’ve lost some pretty bad game 1’s in their history, only to recover and play much better in game 2 and beyond.

I was impressed with the Bulls in game 1, but I also don’t foresee them being able to keep that up, especially on the defensive end. The Bucks offense does have the habit of turning into sludge in the playoffs, but they won’t score a total as low as 93 again in this series.

So, I’ll back the Bucks in game 2 to cover the spread. I was able to get it at -9.5 on BetMGM.

I keep getting reminded of previous years playoff series where the Bucks started slow in game 1, only to turn on the jets the rest of the series. Look no further than last year in their first round matchup against the Heat.

They squeaked by in game 1, winning in OT, and then proceeded to blow out the Heat in 3 straight games after that. I expect something similar to happen in this series.

Milwaukee Bucks vs Chicago Bulls Game 2 Picks:

My official NBA betting pick for this game is to take the Bucks -9.5. I bet this at -110 odds on BetMGM Sportsbook.

Milwaukee Bucks vs Chicago Bulls Game 2 Prediction:

My prediction is that the Bucks win this game 121-110.

Milwaukee Bucks vs Chicago Bulls Game 1 Betting Preview

You will see the full series preview and analysis below, so I’ll keep the game preview itself relatively short. I’ll provide my official prediction, and one player prop as well.

Of all the 1st round series, I would probably say this one has the least amount of juice. Of course, the Bucks are also the biggest favorite to win in the 1st round, so that makes sense.

For game 1 specifically, the Bucks are huge favorites as well. The point spread is Bucks -10, according to the OddsJam Perfect Line, with the total sitting at 229.5.

While I have no doubts the Bucks win this game, or the series, I struggled with the spread here. The Bucks are notoriously slow starters in a playoff series, consistently struggling in game 1s specifically.

With that said, the Bulls are the worst playoff team by a mile. And that includes the play-in teams too. So, I decided to sit out a play on the spread and instead take the over, which I do really like.

The OddsJam Line prices this total at 229.5, so by using the OddsJam NBA odds page, I was able to get this all the way down at 228.5 on WynnBET. This is a Positive Expected Value bet, and I like it for basketball reasons as well.

The Bulls stink on defense, and as good as the Bucks defense can be and was in the playoffs last year, they didn’t quite perform to that level this season. So, I expect them to score a ton of points but also allow a ton of points.

For my player prop, I’m riding with Giannis to go over his rebound total. I got him to go over 12.5 rebounds at -112 odds on FanDuel.

Taking out the last game these two teams played in which Giannis only played 24 minutes, he averaged 15 rebounds against the Bulls in the other 3 games. Giannis also is known to step up his rebounding total in important games.

In back-to-back wins against the Sixers and Nets in late March, he had 14 rebounds a piece. Now that we are in the playoffs, I expect this to rebounding pace to continue.

Milwaukee Bucks vs Chicago Bulls Game 1 Picks:

My official NBA betting picks for this game is to take the game total to go over 228.5. I got this at -108 odds on WynnBET Sportsbook.

My player prop for this game is to take Giannis to go over 50 rebounds. This was bet at -112 odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Milwaukee Bucks vs Chicago Bulls Game 1 Prediction:

My prediction for this game is that the Bucks win 131-123.

Milwaukee Bucks vs Chicago Bulls Series Odds & Analysis

For this article we will be previewing the 2022 NBA Playoffs 1st round series between the 3 seed Milwaukee Bucks vs the 6 seed Chicago Bulls. As the higher seed, the Bucks, of course, have the home court advantage in this series.

The Bucks, unsurprisingly, are heavy favorites in this series. You could get them at -1100 to win the series straight up on Caesars Sportsbook!

No. 3 Bucks vs No. 6 Bulls Betting Preview

• Head-to-Head Record: Bucks 4-0
• Bucks Regular Season Record: 51-31
• Bulls Regular Season Record: 46-36

Chicago Bulls Analysis: The Tale of Two Seasons

Unfortunately for Bulls fans, though, the only exciting part of this series is going to be if they get swept or manage to steal a game and instead lose in 5. That is how little faith I have in the Bulls in this series.

Which is sad because the year started off so promising. For the first two months of the season, the Bulls had a top 5 Net Rating in the entire NBA, and only one team in the East had a higher Net Rating than the Bulls.

They were a fixture at the top of the East for pretty much the entirety of the beginning of the season, but then injuries and player regression caused the Bulls to falter.

Starting on the injuries side- serious injuries to Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball had a lot to do with the Bulls struggles. Those two had a great start to the season, and especially on the defensive side. Without them, the Bulls really struggled defensively.

They have the 4th worst defense in the entire NBA since the new year started, worse than teams such as the Kings, Wizards, and even the lowly Lakers!

So, the Bulls have been pretty bad in 2022, but the sad part is they have been even worse in the last month to end the season. From the middle of March to now, the Bulls have the 3rd worst Net Rating in the NBA.

When the Bulls were hot they were riding DeMar DeRozan, who was scorching hot to start the season but slowed down at the end, and Zach LaVine. LaVine struggled with knee pain to end the season, and had his worst points per game average since 2018.

So….. yeah, it’s not looking great for the Bulls. They limped to the finish line, and their reward for that limping is a 1st round matchup against the defending champs and betting favorite to come out of the East in the Milwaukee Bucks.

Milwaukee Bucks Analysis: Championship or Bust

Unsurprisingly, the Bucks swept the Bulls in the regular season. They are very very good, and they employ quite possibly the best player in the entire NBA in Giannis Antetokounmpo. That Giannis fellow is quite good. Unlike the Bulls, he did the opposite of limping to end the season.

He averaged 30 points per game this year, on 55% shooting with 11.5 rebounds and just under 6 assists per game as well. In the past month alone he put up over 40 points in back to back road wins at the Sixers and at the Nets. It was an impressive end to an impressive season for the Bucks and Giannis.

The Bucks aren’t quite as deep as they have been in recent years, but they still have all-star caliber players in Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday surrounding Giannis. Brook Lopez, who missed a ton of time this season with a back injury, has now returned and is healthy.

So, what I ended up doing was putting some lettuce on both the Bucks to win in 4 and the Bucks to win in 5.

I got the Bucks winning in 4 games at +280 odds on Caesars Sportsbook, and then the Bucks winning 4-1 at +180 odds on Caesars as well.

That way, as long as the Bucks win in either 4 or 5 I will have profited from my bets.

Either way, this series is going to be a bloodbath.

Milwaukee Bucks vs Chicago Bulls Series Pick:

My NBA betting picks is to take the Bucks win this series 4-1. I got this on Caesars Sportsbook at +180 odds.

I also like putting money on the Bucks winning in 4 games as well, since there is definitely the chance for a sweep. I got this on Caesars at +280 odds.

Milwaukee Bucks vs Chicago Bulls Series Prediction:

My official prediction is that the Bucks win this series in 5 games. This can be bet at +190 odds on Caesars Sportsbook.