Bulls vs. Bucks Predictions, Picks & Odds: Can Chicago Close Out Season Series in Milwaukee?

The Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks face off on Wednesday with playoff seeding implications on the line. Our Bulls vs. Bucks prediction is based on the best NBA odds.

After winning two of the first three matchups with the Milwaukee Bucks, the Chicago Bulls look to win the season series tonight at Fiserv Forum. The Bucks are three games up on the Boston Celtics for the No. 1 seed in the East, but Boston owns the tie-breaker, so Milwaukee needs one more win or a Celtics loss to clinch the top seed. 

Chicago has clinched a spot in the play-in tournament, but the Bulls can climb from the No. 10 seed to the No. 7 seed if they win out, so both squads should be motivated tonight. 

Here is our best Bulls vs. Bucks prediction (odds via BetMGM; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Bulls vs. Bucks prediction

Bulls +7.5 (-110 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐

Chicago has won and covered in two of the three season matchups with Milwaukee, winning one game at home and one on the road, so there’s no reason to be concerned about Chicago covering on the road here. 

The Bulls are 9-5 straight up and ATS over their last 14, delivering impressive wins against the Memphis Grizzlies at home and winning on the road against the Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers. The Bucks are 11-3 straight up and ATS in the same span, but Milwaukee’s strength of schedule over those 14 games is not too impressive.

Most glaringly, the Bucks have been blown out in each of their last two games on no rest. They lost by 41 to Boston last week at home and fell to the Denver Nuggets on March 25. The Bucks should have Khris Middleton back for this one, but will key reserves Pat Connaughton and Jevon Carter be available? Will MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo be at full strength?

The Bulls are 5-1 ATS when 7.5-point or higher underdogs this season, and the three games against Milwaukee were decided by an average of 7.7 points per contest. Chicago has been great against Milwaukee this season, and they’ve got another factor working in their favor here. The Bucks’ defense has been dreadful as of late. Over the last week, only three teams have a worse defensive rating than Milwaukee (125.5). 

The Bucks might even the season series and clinch the top spot in the East, but this should be a close game. We’ll take Chicago to cover the spread on the road.

Bulls vs. Bucks best odds

BetMGM (-110)

The best vig for this wager comes from FanDuel, but getting -108 as opposed to -110 isn’t enough of a difference for us to take FanDuel over BetMGM. 

All of our other featured books offer standard -110 odds for Bulls +7, but BetMGM gives us an extra half a point at the same odds. If the Bulls lose by exactly seven points, we’ll win this wager by using BetMGM.

Bulls vs. Bucks odds

Bulls vs. Bucks odds analysis

Milwaukee opened as 7.5-point favorites, and the line has moved half a point in favor of the home team at some shops. Bettors overwhelmingly favor the Bucks to cover, with 71% of wagers on that outcome. Milwaukee has a 22-15-2 ATS record as home favorites and a 7-7-1 record against Central Division opponents. Chicago is 14-11-1 as the road dog and 5-8-1 against the division.

The total is set at a modest 231.5, up just half a point from its opener. Bettors have placed 69% of wagers on the Over. The Bucks are 24-15 to the Over as the home favorite and 10-5 against the Central Division. The team has hit the Over in four of its last six. Chicago is 12-14 to the Under as the road dog, but the team has hit the Over in six of its last seven. 

Bulls vs. Bucks game info

• Date: Wednesday, April 5, 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN
• Location: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI

Bulls-Bucks pick made 04/05/2023 at 8:55 a.m. ET.

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