Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls Predictions, Picks, Odds

Michael Crosson Sports Betting Expert

4 minute read

Nationally televised NBA action will resume on Friday night with a heavyweight Eastern Conference bout between the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls. Coverage begins from United Center at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Score Prediction

Bucks 120, Bulls 113

Best Bets

Bucks -4.5 (-110) at BetMGM

Bucks vs. Bulls Predictions

After finishing 11^th in the East with a record of 31-41 SU last year, Chicago bounced back with an excellent start to this season, as the Bulls opened with an impressive 26-10 SU and 22-14 ATS run – with five of those SU victories coming in matchups they were underdogs in.

The Bulls have been decimated by health issues since mid-January though, considering Chicago enters Friday riding a bumpy 12-13 SU and 13-11-1 ATS stretch – which includes a 2-5 SU record without two-time All-Star Zach LaVine, and a record of 10-7 SU with him.

On the other hand, Milwaukee stumbled out to a surprisingly slow start to the season, as the Bucks kicked things off with a lackluster 6-8 SU and ATS skid – with four of those SU losses coming in matchups they were favored in.

The Bucks have quietly dominated since their opening skid though, considering Milwaukee enters Friday riding a sturdy 32-17 SU run, with 24 of those victories coming by eight points or more – despite sitting just 21-28 ATS across that same window.

I’ll back Milwaukee here, as the Bulls enter Friday riding a relatively pedestrian 12-13 SU stretch, while scoring 113.7 OPPG and allowing 115.9 DPPG across that timeframe – setting the stage for a tough matchup on short rest against a Bucks squad that’s scored 120+ PTS in eight of their last ten games (124 OPPG).

Bucks vs. Bulls Betting Odds

More Odds | Futures Odds

Bucks vs. Bulls Betting Resources

• Matchup: Central
• Date: Friday, March 4, 2022
• Venue: United Center
• Location: Chicago, IL
• TV-Time: ESPN - 7:30 p.m. ET
• Injury Report

Milwaukee Bucks Betting Analysis

• SU: 38-25
• ATS: 27-36
• O/U: 32-31

After finishing with the best record in the East in two of the last three regular seasons, Milwaukee’s rough start was a bit of a head-scratcher, as the Bucks’ compiled a record of 162-65 SU across the previous three seasons – and then opened this season just 6-8 SU.

Milwaukee has played solid basketball, when healthy, since mid-November though, considering the Bucks enter Friday riding a sturdy 31-17 SU run – with a decent chunk of those losses coming in the absence of six-time All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo (5). 

Chicago Bulls Betting Analysis

• SU: 39-23
• ATS: 36-25-1
• O/U: 32-29-1

After last year’s disappointing 11^th place showing, the Bulls went out and made some bold acquisitions during the offseason, ultimately reshaping their entire roster, as LaVine now finds himself partnered up with a stout supporting cast that includes DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, Nikola Vucevic, Alex Caruso and others.

The Bulls have recently stalled out due to various health issues though, considering Chicago enters Friday riding a bumpy 12-13 SU and 13-11-1 ATS stretch – with nearly half of those SU losses coming in the absence of LaVine (5).

Bucks vs. Bulls Head-to-Head

Milwaukee won two-of-three regular-season matchups against Chicago last year, with both Bucks’ victories staying under the total at an average of 214 PPG – while Chicago’s lone win went over at a score of 118-112. The most recent meeting between these teams took place back in January of this year though, which resulted in another low-scoring victory for Milwaukee.

Key Players to Watch

• MIL: Giannis Antetokoumpo - PF (29.3 PPG, 11.5 REB, 6 AST)
• MIL: Khris Middleton - SG (19.6 PPG, 5.4 REB, 5.2 AST)
• CHI: DeMar DeRozan - SG (28.2 PPG, 5.3 REB, 5 AST)
• CHI: Zach LaVine - PG (24.5 PPG, 4.8 REB, 4.5 AST)

Bucks vs. Bulls Betting Conclusion

After posting back-to-back home wins over the Hornets and Heat, the Bucks hit the road for Friday’s contest as five-point favorites over the Bulls at United Center – marking the third time Chicago has been an underdog across their last four games.

I’ll back Milwaukee here, as despite the Bucks sitting just 7-4 SU and 5-6 ATS in their last seven games, they’re still averaging 122.9 OPPG and allowing 116.5 DPPG across that same timeframe – likely presenting a difficult task for a Bulls squad that’s allowed 115+ PTS in ten of their last 15 contests (116.3 DPPG).

Bucks vs. Bulls Betting Trends

• The Bulls are 4-6 ATS in their last ten matchups against Milwaukee.
• The Bucks are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games.
• The total has gone UNDER in four of the last five matchups between Chicago and Milwaukee.
• The total has gone OVER in nine of the last ten Bucks' games.

Michael Crosson

Michael Crosson began his time at VegasInsider as a freelance NBA writer back in 2019 while he continued to study Psychology and Biology at James Madison University. Following his graduation in 2021, Michael joined the team full-time, and he's been with VI ever since. Michael still writes NBA, NFL, and MLB for VI, as well as gambling industry news. He's also become a crucial part of our editorial production team. More from Michael Crosson