Chicago Bulls will host the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA action on Tuesday evening. The home side wants to stay in the race for the top spot in the division, and they need a win against a direct opponent. The visitors have entered a losing streak which they want to stop as soon as possible.
Chicago still hopes to snatch the top spot in the Central Division or finish in the top six in the Eastern Conference. A possible victory on Tuesday evening would help them a lot to accomplish that goal. On the other hand, Milwaukee has already secured its place in the post-season. However, the away side should get back on the winning track ahead of the most important stage of the campaign.
Chicago Bulls – Can they snatch the top-six finish?
The Bulls have been running hot and cold lately, and they booked only four wins on the previous 11 occasions. They are now three wins behind their upcoming rivals and sit in 2nd position in the Central Division with a 45-33 record. It is going to be their third consecutive game on the home court, and in the most recent one, the Bulls suffered a 127-109 defeat against the Miami Heat. They couldn’t stop Miami from having a 50.0 three-point percentage, while the bench players contributed with only 27 points.
DeMar DeRozan has been the most productive player for the Bulls this season, averaging 28 points, 5.3 rebounds, and five assists per match. Zach LaVine contributes with 24.7 pts, 4.6 rebs, and 4.5 assists per contest, while Lonzo Ball has 13 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. Nikola Vucevic dominates the paint with 11.2 rebounds while producing 18 points and having one steal and one block per match. Regarding the selection issues, Lonzo Ball will be out of the contest, while Alex Caruso is questionable.
Expected Line-Up: Ayo Dosunmu, Coby White, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic
with best odds
Milwaukee Bucks – Will they get back on the winning track?
The Bucks sit on the top of the Central Division with a 48-30 record, and they have already secured their place among the top six teams in the Eastern Conference. However, the away side lost twice in a row and enters this game, hoping to produce a better performance. The most recent one against the Dallas Mavericks at home wasn’t good enough, and it resulted in a 118-112 defeat. Milwaukee didn’t have a solution to stop Luka Doncic, who had 32 points, followed by 15 assists, eight rebounds, and three steals for 39 minutes spent on the court.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the most productive player in the Bucks’ offense with 30.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game. Khris Middleton averages 20.1 pts, 5.4 rebs, 5.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per match, while Jrue Holiday tops the assists charts with 6.8 and produces 18.7 points. Bobby Portis has 14.7 points and 9.1 rebounds, while three other players average a double-digit number of pts. Milwaukee has a clean bill of health and can count on all players for this match.
Expected Line-Up: Jrue Holiday, Wesley Matthews, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez
Expert Pick #1 – Chicago Bulls +4.5 @-110
Chicago has been solid at home this season, and they want to secure the top-six finish in the Eastern Conference. I’ll back them to cover the number here since they managed to do that 12 times in their previous 17 home matches. Therefore, the Bulls ATS will be my first pick.
Expert Pick #2 – Under 229.5 @-110
The Bulls’ matches have usually stayed under the margin, which was the case 14 times on the previous 19 occasions. Four of the last Bucks’ five games on one day’s rest were low-scoring, and I don’t expect to see more than 229 points here. Give me the Under as the second bet.
Expert Pick #3 – Nikola Vucevic Double Double @-115
Vucevic produced 17.6 pts in the last ten appearances, while he averages 20 points against the Bucks. Also, he controls the paint when playing on the home court with 11.9 rebs on average, and I’ll back him for another double-double this season. The odds are a bit lower than in the first two picks, but I’ll take this one.
