New Year’s Day brings ten games around the Association with plenty of markets to choose from, so I’ve prepared the best betting pick and tips for the Central Division showdown between the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Bulls head to Fiserv Forum as massive underdogs. They’ve lost ten straight games against the Bucks while covering just three times in the process.
The Bulls aim for a huge upset following a pair of wins at Washington
The Chicago Bulls started the season with three straight losses on the home court, but they bounced back with a couple of impressive wins at the Washington Wizards, 115-107 as 6-point dogs and 133-130 as 7.5-point dogs.
The Bulls missed Lauri Markkanen last night, but Otto Porter Jr. stepped up and nailed 28 points on 10-for-14 shooting from the field. He also had 12 rebounds, three assists, three steals, and zero turnovers. Markkanen, who’s averaging 17.3 points and 6.8 boards on the season, is listed as questionable for Friday’s game.
Chicago has the sixth-worst offensive rating in the league, though those two games against the Wizards’ terrible defense helped their case. The Bulls are scoring 104.5 points per 100 possessions while playing at the second-fastest pace in the league with 108.4 possessions per 48 minutes. They are yielding 111.9 points in a return (19th).
The Bucks split a two-game set in Miami
The Milwaukee Bucks are 2-3 on the young season following a 119-108 defeat at the Miami Heat this past Wednesday. It was a back-to-back set for the Bucks who thrashed off Miami 144-97 on Tuesday.
They blew a 14-point second-half lead on the second day, making just 39.2% of their field goals. The Bucks tallied 14 steals and 26 assists while turning the ball reasonable 13 times, but it wasn’t enough against the furious Heat.
Giannis Antetokounmpo went off Wednesday for 26 points, 13 boards, and 10 assists. The Bucks have the second-best offensive rating in the league of 120.2 points per 100 possessions, but they surrender 109.8 in a return (15th in the NBA).
[metabet_core_odds_compare query=”nba/bucks” size=”300×250″ site_id=”atsio” css=”float:right; margin-left:10px”]Trends:
Chicago:
- 3-7 ATS in the last ten games against Milwaukee
Milwaukee:
- 5-1 ATS in the last six games as double-digit favorites
- 12-2 ATS in the last 14 games against Central Division
The Winner Prediction
We’ve seen so many lopsided scores already, and I’m hoping for another one here. The Bulls have a lot of problems on both sides of the ball and will struggle mightily if the Bucks put on a solid defensive performance.
They defeated Washington twice in a row, but another road win against this Milwaukee team would be too much. The Bucks have already allowed an upset in New York, so I expect them to take this game seriously. On paper, they are a much better team than Chicago and should shut down the Bulls’ offense.
Pick: Take Milwaukee -14.5 at -110
The Total:
The Bulls failed to score more than 106 points in five of their last six encounters with the Bucks. The under has hit in five of the last seven matchups between Chicago and Milwaukee, and I think Friday’s game will go in the under as well.
Chicago could easily struggle to score enough points to push this game in the over. I don’t trust their offense. On the other hand, the Bucks could drop a bunch of baskets on Chicago if they get things going early in the game. It’s a tricky wager either way.
Pick: Go under 231.5 points at -110