It will be a battle of division foes when the Chicago Bulls (50-32) welcome the Milwaukee Bucks (41-41) to the United Center. The game starts at 7:00 pm ET on Saturday, Apr. 18 and will air on ESPN.
The Bulls were victorious over the Hawks 91-85 on Wednesday. Jimmy Butler had 21 points, six rebounds, and three assists for Chicago. The Bucks, meanwhile, are coming off a 105-100 loss at the hands of the Celtics on Wednesday. Ersan Ilyasova had a team-high 21 points.
Over the last five games, Michael Carter-Williams has been on a tear for the Bucks. During that stretch, he has averaged 19.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.4 steals.
The Bulls have won three out of four against the Bucks this season, but dropped their most recent game, 95-91. Despite the loss, Butler was the game’s leading scorer with 25 points.
The odds are even for this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is presently unavailable. The Bulls enter the game with records of 50-32 Straight Up (SU) and 39-43 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 8-8 SU and 7-9 ATS when playing their division. Chicago has averaged 101.0 points per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 0.0. Chicago has gotten to the free throw line often this season. They average 19 made free throws per game, which is third-best in the NBA. Chicago has an edge in the rebounding department for this game, where they rack up an average of 45.7 rebounds per game. Chicago’s defense is doing poorly against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, allowing an average of 92.0 points per game, well above their season average of 0.0. The Bulls have limited opponents’ efforts from beyond the arc, allowing 6.6 three-pointers made per game. An area where the Bulls are particularly strong is shot blocking, where they average 5.8 blocks per game, fifth in the NBA. Milwaukee has a habit of getting in foul trouble (22.1 fouls per game), so expect the Bulls to get a number of opportunities from the free throw line.
On the other side, Milwaukee has a SU record of 41-41 and an ATS record of 45-35-2. When traveling to face teams in its division, Milwaukee has a record of 6-2 ATS. However, the Bucks only managed a SU record of 3-5 in those games. Milwaukee has been playing better lately, averaging 97.9 PPG, significantly more than their season average of 0.0. The last 10 games have really brought the worst out of the Bucks on the defensive end. They allowed 96.8 points per game during that span, which is higher than their season average of 0.0. Milwaukee’s defense is one of the top in the league, with opponents shooting only .437 from the field. When it comes to stealing the ball away, the Bucks are the best in the league with an average of 9.6 steals per game. Milwaukee makes opponents pay for turning the ball over, ranking third in points off turnovers with an average of 19.2 per game.
Milwaukee beat Chicago in their most recent meeting this season, but the Bulls still lead the head-to-head record, 7-3 SU, over the last 10 matchups. The Bulls also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, Chicago and Milwaukee each held the edge in all three of these categories twice in the last 10 meetings.
Predictions: SU Winner – CHI, ATS Winner – CHI
Notes
Chicago’s offense and Milwaukee’s defense are well matched when it comes to scoring. Chicago puts up 0.0 points per game (ranked zeroth). Milwaukee allows 0.0 points per game, which is also ranked zeroth.
Chicago and Milwaukee are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per home game and points allowed per away game respectively. Chicago puts up an average of 0.0 points per home game, while Milwaukee gives up 0.0 points per away game on average.
Chicago has a formidable 35-11 record when it gives up under 100 points this season. Milwaukee is 22-26 when it scores under 100.
The Chicago Bulls have a 15-21 record when their opponents score at least 100 points. The Milwaukee Bucks have a 19-15 record when they register triple digits.
The Bucks have a defensive rating of 99.7, fourth-best in the NBA. The Bulls also rank in the top half of the league for their offensive rating of 104.5 (ranked 11th).
Chicago averages fewer possessions per game than Milwaukee, with 96.5 compared to 97.7. However, the Bulls score an average of 1.045 points per possession, more than the 1.001 that the Bucks score.
The Chicago Bulls average an effective field goal percentage of 48.9% this season. The Milwaukee Bucks have a losing record of 11-29 when opponents have an EFF% of 48.9% or greater.
Chicago makes an average of 21.7 assists per game (ranked 14th). Milwaukee ranks higher in assists with 23.6 (ranked seventh).
Chicago ranks near the top of the league in blocking at fifth (5.8 blocks per game). Milwaukee is ranked 11th, with 4.9 blocks per game.
Chicago is ranked sixth in offensive rebounding. Milwaukee ranks 25th in defensive rebounds.
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 solid 23-13 record.
