The Milwaukee Bucks will travel to the United Center to challenge the Chicago Bulls in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Action begins at 7:05 pm ET on Monday, Apr. 27 and can be seen on CSN-CHI.
The Bulls are hoping for a better outcome after their 92-90 loss to the Bucks on Saturday. Jimmy Butler was the game’s leading scorer with 33 points. O.J. Mayo led the team in scoring by registering 18 points on 6-for-11 shooting.
This one isn’t expected to be close when Chicago, a substantial eight-point favorite, takes on Milwaukee. According to the oddsmakers, the Over/Under (O/U) is currently 188 points. The Bulls come into this game 50-32 Straight Up (SU) and 39-43 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 8-8 SU and 7-9 ATS against divisional opponents. The Bulls are one of the best in the NBA in terms of free throws made, making an impressive 19.7 per game. The rebounding edge goes to the Bulls in this matchup, who are one of the top rebounding teams in the league with an average of 45.7 boards per game. Chicago’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the league, allowing just 6.6 three-pointers per game. Opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Bulls, who rank fifth in the league in blocks per game with 5.8. Chicago will look to take advantage of the Bucks and their propensity to foul. Milwaukee ranks 28th in the league in fouls, averaging 22.1 per game.
As for their opponent, the Bucks have 41-41 SU and 45-35-2 ATS records. Despite having a losing record against its own division, Milwaukee is successful ATS in those games with a record of 6-2. The Bucks have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the league at .437. The Bucks are a terror in the passing lanes, averaging an NBA-best 9.6 steals per game. Milwaukee is the third-best team in the league at scoring points off turnovers with 19.2 per game.
The Bucks’ win over Chicago in their last clash wasn’t enough for them to overtake the Bulls in the recent head-to-head series. Their record is now 2-8 SU over the last 10 meetings. With a 7-3 record, the Bulls also have the advantage ATS. Chicago and Milwaukee both held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers twice over the last 10 games.
Predictions: SU Winner – CHI, ATS Winner – MIL, O/U – Under
Notes
Chicago scores an average of 100.8 points per game (ranked 15th), while Milwaukee gives up 97.4 points per game (ranked eighth).
On average, Chicago puts up 101.9 points per home game (ranked 14th), while Milwaukee allows 98.6 points per away game (ranked ninth).
In its last game, Milwaukee won by a margin of two points. Chicago is 7-2 in games decided by three points or less. Milwaukee has a 5-9 record in close games.
The Milwaukee Bucks have a winning 31-12 record when their opponents score fewer than 100 points this season. The Chicago Bulls are 15-22 when they score less than 100.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Bucks are just 10-29 this season. Chicago is a superb 35-10 when registering triple digits.
The Bucks have an offensive rating of 100.1 (ranked 25th), while the Bulls rank 11th for their defensive rating of 101.4.
The Milwaukee Bucks have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking seventh in the league with a FG% of 45.9%. When their opponents have a similar or higher FG%, the Chicago Bulls are 12-18.
On average, Chicago attempts 22.3 three pointers and Milwaukee attempts 18.3 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Bulls are 13-16 while the Bucks have a winning 4-1 record.
The Chicago Bulls, with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.65, rank 15th in the NBA. The Milwaukee Bucks have a lower A/TO (1.48), ranking 22nd.
Chicago ranks near the top of the NBA for rebounds at third (45.7 per game), while Milwaukee ranks 24th with 42.1 per game.
Chicago is ranked seventh in defensive rebounds, while Milwaukee ranks 17th in offensive rebounds.
Though Milwaukee is one of the best in the league in forcing turnovers with opponents averaging a TOV% of 17.0% (ranked first), Chicago has a solid 10-6 record SU when it has a TOV% of 17.0% or greater.
