Chicago Bulls will take on the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA 2021-22 action on Sunday afternoon. The home side will search for improvement and a chance to level up the score in the series. The visitors managed to get back the home-court advantage, and they look forward to another victory.
Chicago put a disappointing performance ahead of its fans, and they need to do much better to win on the home court. Nevertheless, they already showed they could stun the Bucks, and they won’t give up fighting in this series. On the other hand, Milwaukee wants another confident display that can bring them one win away from the quarter-finals. The away side will try to build up on its latest performance and win on the road again.
Chicago Bulls – Can they improve their game?
Although the home fans hoped their team could celebrate again against the Bucks and take the lead in the series, that didn’t happen. The Bulls want to forget their latest display quickly, but they also need to learn something from it. Chicago trailed 16 points already after the first quarter, and they couldn’t catch their opponents from that point. Eventually, the Bulls suffered a heavy 111-81 defeat, having a very poor 26.5 three-pointer percentage. They were also inferior in the paint, with 12 rebounds less than Milwaukee.
DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic have led the Bulls’ offense during the playoffs with 23.3 and 22.3 points per game, respectively. Vucevic dominates the paint with 12 rebounds per contest, while DeRozan tops the assists charts with 4.7. Zach LaVine contributes with 17.7 pts in the post-season, while Tony Bradley is the last player that averages a double-digit number of points per match. Matt Thomas and Lonzo Ball are still out of the contest for Chicago, while all other players should be available.
Expected Line-Up: Alex Caruso, Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic
with best odds
Milwaukee Bucks – Will they book another road win?
The Bucks managed to bounce back immediately after losing Game 2 on their court. They dominated the game from the very start and didn’t let themselves get complacent. Thanks to that victory, Milwaukee grabbed the home-court advantage back, and they will search for another win for a 3-1 lead in the series. Their field goal percentage was quite good (47.3), while the Bucks limited the number of turnovers to ten. Milwaukee can be content with its recent form since they lost only two games on the previous seven occasions.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the Bucs’ best player in the offense in the playoffs as well, averaging 26 points, a team-high 13.7 rebounds, seven assists, and 1.7 blocks per game. Brook Lopez contributes with 17.3 pts and four rebs, while Jrue Holiday produces 15.3 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Bobby Portis has ten points and ten rebs per contest, while Khris Middleton is the team’s best assistant with seven while scoring 14.5 pts. However, he won’t be ready to make an appearance in this one while George Hill is also out.
Expected Line-Up: Jrue Holiday, Wesley Matthews, Grayson Allen, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez
Expert Pick #1 – Under 218.5 @-110
The Under cashed in two of three games in this series, and having in mind their latest clash, this one should not be much different. Chicago was very poor in the offense, and I believe this game won’t go over a 218.5 margin. Therefore, it’s going to be my first pick for this matchup.
Expert Pick #2 – Milwaukee Bucks -4.5 @-110
The Bulls played so badly in the most recent match, and I don’t have any confidence in them. Milwaukee has the chance to go 3-1 in this series, and I believe they will take it. That’s why I’m going to back the visitors to win and cover as my second bet.
Expert Pick #3 – Chicago Bulls Under 107.5 @-115
Chicago has been averaging 104.4 pts during the post-season, and since they were awful in the previous match, I don’t see them scoring more than 107 in this one. Although the odds are slightly lower than in the first two picks, I’ll take it as my third selection for this encounter.
