The Chicago Bulls will travel to the BMO Harris Bradley Center to face the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Action begins at 5:30 pm ET on Saturday, Apr. 25 and can be seen on TNT, CSN-CHI and FSN-WI.
The Bucks are expecting a better outcome after their 91-82 loss to the Bulls in their last matchup. Khris Middleton was the team’s leading scorer with 22 points. Jimmy Butler was the game’s top scorer, registering 31 points on 10-for-19 shooting.
The odds for Milwaukee and Chicago are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Bucks come into this game 41-41 Straight Up (SU) and 45-35-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 7-9 SU and 10-5-1 ATS against divisional opponents. Milwaukee’s defense can be considered one of the best in the league. The Bucks allow a .437 opponent field-goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the league. Opponents have consistently had the ball stolen by the Bucks, who lead the league in steals per game with 9.6. Milwaukee is one of the league’s top scoring teams off turnovers with an average of 19.2 points per game.
In the other locker room, the Bulls have a record of 39-43 ATS and 50-32 SU. Against fellow division members, Chicago has an 8-8 SU and a 7-9 ATS record. The Bulls get to the line and convert their free throws at a high volume, ranking third in the league with 1,618 made (19.7 per game). The Bulls have controlled the glass with an average of 45.7 rebounds per game, third in the league. The Bulls are a problem for teams on the defensive side, allowing only 6.6 field goals from three-point range per game. Blocking shots is an area where Chicago has excelled. The Bulls average 5.8 blocks per game, making them one of the best in the league. One advantage for the Bulls could be Milwaukee’s high fouls per game average of 22.1.
With the Bulls’ last win against Milwaukee, their SU record is now 8-2 over the Bucks in the last 10 meetings. Furthermore, the Bulls hold the advantage ATS with a record of 7-3. In these last 10 matchups, each team was able to hold the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers twice.
Predictions: SU Winner – CHI, ATS Winner – CHI
Notes
Milwaukee’s offense and Chicago’s defense are well matched when it comes to scoring. Milwaukee puts up 0.0 points per game (ranked zeroth). Chicago gives up 0.0 points per game, which is also ranked zeroth.
Milwaukee and Chicago are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per home game and points allowed per away game respectively. Milwaukee scores an average of 0.0 points per home game, while Chicago allows 0.0 points per away game on average.
Milwaukee has a solid 31-12 record when it gives up under 100 points this season. Chicago is 15-22 when it scores under 100.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Bucks are just 10-29 this season. Chicago is a tremendous 35-10 when it hits the century mark.
The Bucks have an offensive rating of 100.1 (ranked 25th). The Bulls rank 11th for their defensive rating of 101.4.
The Milwaukee Bucks average 97.7 possessions per game and 1.001 points per possession, while the Chicago Bulls earn fewer possessions (96.5) but more points per possession (1.045).
Milwaukee has an average effective field goal percentage of 49.9%. Chicago is a poor 10-19 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Milwaukee makes an average of 23.6 assists per game (ranked seventh), while Chicago makes 21.7 assists per game (ranked 14th).
With 5.8 blocks per game, the Chicago Bulls rank fifth in the league. The Milwaukee Bucks are in the top half of NBA teams for blocking, ranking 11th with 4.9 blocks per game.
The Milwaukee Bucks rank 17th in offensive rebounding, while the Chicago Bulls rank seventh in defensive rebounding.
The Milwaukee Bucks rank first in steals, with an average of 9.6 per game. When the Chicago Bulls allow at least 9 steals, they have a winning 23-13 record.
