Milwaukee Bucks will host the Chicago Bulls in Game 2 of the NBA playoffs first round on Wednesday evening. The home side was pretty confident in the opening match, and they want to celebrate again on the home court. The visitors need to significantly improve their game if they’re going to return home with a win.
Milwaukee got back to the winning track at the beginning of the post-season, and they want to pick up where they left off. The hosts were very disciplined in defense on Sunday evening, and they look forward to securing a 2-0 advantage. On the other hand, Chicago has had many troubles lately, and they need to bounce back to be competitive in this tie. The away side has many offensive issues, which cost them a lot of victories over the past few weeks.
Milwaukee Bucks – Can they book anther win?
Although they were not very good in the series opener against the Bulls, Milwaukee secured an advantage in this tie. That win saw them bouncing back after losing in the final match of the regular season. However, the Bucks cannot be happy with their poor 40.5 field goal percentage. Luckily for them, Chicago’s abysmal form helped them secure a 93-86 win on Sunday evening. Milwaukee should also try to reduce the number of turnovers, as they lost possession 21 times in the first match.
Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to lead the Bucks’ offense in the post-season as well, producing 27 points, a team-high 16 rebounds, three assists, and a pair of blocks in the previous clash. Brook Lopez also contributed a lot, scoring 18 pts, five rebs, and two blocks. Jrue Holiday was the team’s best assistant, with six while having 15 points and two steals. Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis also had a double-digit number of points, while Portis was also dominant in the paint with 12 rebounds. Regarding the selection issues, the Bucks will miss George Hill in this match, while Jordan Nwora is questionable.
Expected Line-Up: Jrue Holiday, Wesley Matthews, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez
with best odds
Chicago Bulls – Will they improve their game?
The Bulls want to forget their performance in the first game, but their form doesn’t show signs of improvement. They booked just one win on the previous six occasions, and if they don’t improve, the Bulls will have a very tough challenge to turn the tie around. Chicago scored only 86 points at Fiserv Forum, and their field goal percentage was at 32.3. The Bulls hit only 18% of their attempts from the three-point area, and despite having ten turnovers less than their opponents, they couldn’t count on success with such numbers.
Nikola Vucevic was the only bright sparkle in the Bulls’ blackout, with 24 points, three assists, two blocks, and a steal. He also controlled the paint with a total of 17 rebounds. Despite scoring 18 points, DeMar DeRozan was way below his season average, and eight rebs, six assists, and three steals followed that performance. Zach LaVine also contributed with 18 pts, while Coby White was the last double-digit player for the Bulls with 12. Lonzo Ball continues to miss out on this tie, as well as Matt Thomas.
Expected Line-Up: Alex Caruso, Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic
Expert Pick #1 – Milwaukee Bucks -10 @-110
The Bucks could capitalize on the Bulls’ poor form again and move the series to Chicago with a 2-0 lead. I think they will also improve their game and cover the number this time. Therefore, I’m going to take the Bucks ATS as my first pick.
Expert Pick #2 – Over 225 @-110
Both teams had very low field goal percentages in the first game, and I don’t think they can shoot worse than that. I expect a more efficient match that should go over a 225 margin. Milwaukee has been involved in high-scoring games lately, and the Over will be my second bet.
Expert Pick #3 – Milwaukee Bucks Over 117.5 @-120
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the lads should be more clinical in the offense on Wednesday evening, and I can see them producing at least 118 points in this one. They should be more confident on the home court, and the Bucks will try to book an easy win for a 2-0 lead. This will be my third pick at slightly lower odds than the first two.
