Well, well, well, things have suddenly gotten a bit more interesting in the 6 vs. 3 Eastern Conference NBA Playoffs matchup. Not only did the Chicago Bulls manage to steal a road win in Game 2 on Wednesday night, but the Milwaukee Bucks suffered a key injury loss during the game. Despite the unexpected turn of events in what was supposed to be a lopsided series, the defending champs are still priced as NBA betting favorites on the road ahead of tonight’s contest. Let’s take a look at the top NBA odds, picks and betting trends, then give a Bucks vs Bulls prediction for this NBA Playoffs Game 3 matchup.
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Bucks vs Bulls Game Info and Preview | NBA Playoffs
NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs First Round — Game 3 (Series tied 1-1)
(3) Milwaukee Bucks (51-31, 24-17 Away) vs. (6) Chicago Bulls (46-36, 27-14 Home)
Date: Friday, April 22, 2022
Time: 8:30 PM EST
Venue: United Center — Chicago, IL
Coverage: ABC
Coming into the 2022 NBA Playoffs, many felt viewed the Bucks as the favorites to once again come out of the Eastern Conference bracket. After a lackluster Game 1 performance that saw the defending NBA champs escape, things took an even more sour turn on Wednesday. Despite MVP finalist Giannis Antetokounmpo coming up one assist shy of a massive triple-double performance, Milwaukee dropped Game 2 of this series on their home floor. Making matters worse, the Bucks’ second-leading scorer, Khris Middleton, suffered a sprained MCL. The soonest the Bucks are suggesting that he might return is in two weeks. All of a sudden, even a Bucks vs Bulls prediction for the series doesn’t seem certain.
As for the Bulls, one couldn’t help but feel like they let an opportunity slip away in Game 1 of this series. Chicago played one of its best defensive games of the entire season but failed to pick up the road win. After being held to just 18 points in the series-opener, DeMar DeRozan exploded for 41 on Wednesday night to power the Bulls to the upset. Nikola Vucevic (24 points) and Zach LaVine (20) also played better offensively than in Game 1. If Chicago can continue getting similar contributions from its “Big Three” moving forward, they could push this Bucks vs Bulls playoff series into deep waters.
Bucks vs Bulls NBA Betting Picks and Odds
All NBA betting odds for Bucks vs Bulls can be found at BetOnline Sportsbook.
Moneyline: MIL: (-145) | CHI: (+125)
Point Spread: MIL: -2.5 (-115) | CHI: +2.5 (-105)
Total: 222.5 — Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)
Public Betting Percentages (via Action Network): MIL: (67%) | CHI: (33%)
Bucks vs Bulls NBA Betting Trends
- Bucks are 0-4 ATS in their last four games against teams with a winning record.
- The UNDER is 4-0-1 in the Bucks’ last five playoff games as an NBA betting favorite.
- The total has gone OVER in six of the Bucks’ last seven games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Bulls are 0-4 ATS in their last four home games.
- The OVER is 4-0 in the Bulls’ last four games when playing on exactly one day’s rest.
- Bucks are 11-1 ATS in their last 12 head-to-head meetings against the Bulls in Chicago.
- Five of the last six Bucks vs Bulls head-to-head matchups have gone UNDER the total.
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Bucks vs Bulls Prediction | NBA Betting Picks
The fact that the Bucks were priced at -3000 or higher to win this best-of-seven series leads one to believe that the new series price of -275 is a bit of an over-adjustment. After all, these are still the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks we are talking about. Do the Bucks NEED Khris Middleton to get past the Bulls? Probably not. In fact, the team had better than a +7 margin when both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday were on the floor this season and Middleton was not.
While it’s difficult to see the Bulls actually turning this NBA betting series completely upside-down, bettors should be wary of playing against Chicago in tonight’s game. For starters, it would be nice to see the Bucks show they are capable of being successful without Middleton before rushing to back them.
There’s also the fact that this will be the first postseason game in Chicago in five years. A fired-up United Center crowd figures to benefit the Bulls, particularly at the onset of Game 3 when the energy is highest. This combined with the Bucks adjusting to life without Middleton makes Chicago an appealing first-half bet, especially at a plus-money price.
Our NBA betting Bucks vs Bulls prediction tonight will be the Bulls to win the first half at +110 at BetOnline.
For what it’s worth, the ESPN Matchup Predictor gives the Bucks a 52.6% chance to win.
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