The Chicago Bulls visit the BMO Harris Bradley Center to take on the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. The game starts at 7:00 pm ET on Thursday, Apr. 30 and will air on CSN-CHI and FSN-WI.
The Bucks beat the Bulls 94-88 on Monday. Michael Carter-Williams was the team’s high scorer with 22 points on 10-for-15 shooting. Pau Gasol scored 25 points and recorded 10 rebounds earning his 54th double-double of the season.
Milwaukee, a three-point underdog, will look to capitalize at home against Chicago. Oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 187 points. The Bucks look to improve upon their records of 41-41 Straight Up (SU) and 45-35-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 7-9 SU and 10-5-1 ATS when playing their division. Opposing offenses have been stifled by the Bucks, who allow a field goal percentage of only .437. The Bucks lead the league in steals with 9.6 per game. Something to watch out for is if Milwaukee can force its opponents into turnovers and convert them into baskets. They’ve done an excellent job of that all year with an average of 19.2 points off turnovers per game.
Across the court, the Bulls head into the game with records of 39-43 ATS and 50-32 SU. Chicago has a record of 8-8 SU and 7-9 ATS against the Central. Chicago is one of the top foul-shooting teams in the league, knocking down 19.7 shots from the line per game. Chicago is one of the better rebounding teams in the NBA. The Bulls average 45.7 rebounds per game, making them the third-best team in the league for that category. The Bulls are one of the top defensive teams on the road, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 98 points allowed per away game. Teams don’t seem to hit many three-pointers against the Bulls, who are third in the league in terms of three-point field goals allowed at 538 this season. They average 5.8 blocks per game, good for fifth in the league. The Bulls are in for a physical game against Milwaukee. The Bucks are not afraid to send opponents to the free throw line, averaging 22.1 fouls per game.
Following the Bucks’ latest win over Chicago, Milwaukee is still behind in the head-to-head record over the last 10 meetings, 3-7 SU. Additionally, with a 7-3 record, the Bulls have the advantage ATS. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, Milwaukee and Chicago each held the edge in all three of these categories twice in the last 10 meetings.
Predictions: SU Winner – CHI, ATS Winner – MIL, O/U – Under
Notes
Milwaukee is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games.
Milwaukee is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games.
Milwaukee is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home.
Milwaukee is 6-19 SU in its last 25 games when playing Chicago.
Milwaukee is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Chicago.
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Milwaukee’s last 9 games when playing Chicago.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee’s last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago.
Milwaukee is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games when playing at home against Chicago.
Milwaukee ranks 22nd in points per game with 97.8, while Chicago ranks ninth in points allowed with an average of 97.8 given up.
On average, Milwaukee scores 97.8 points per home game (ranked 23rd), while Chicago gives up 98.0 points per away game (ranked fifth).
The Milwaukee Bucks have a winning record (31-12) when their opponents score fewer than 100 points this season. The Chicago Bulls are 15-22 when they don’t hit triple digits.
The Milwaukee Bucks have a losing 10-29 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Chicago Bulls are 35-10 when they hit triple digits.
The Bucks have an offensive rating of 100.1 (ranked 25th). The Bulls rank 11th for their defensive rating of 101.4.
Milwaukee averages 97.7 possessions per game, scoring 1.001 points on each possession. While Chicago averages fewer possessions per game with 96.5, the team scores more points per possession with 1.045.
Milwaukee has an average effective field goal percentage of 49.9%. Chicago is a losing 10-19 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Milwaukee Bucks make 23.6 assists per game and the Chicago Bulls make 21.7. Milwaukee is ranked seventh, while Chicago is ranked 14th.
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.
Milwaukee is ranked 17th when it comes to offensive rebounding. Chicago ranks seventh in defensive rebounds.
Making 9.6 steals per game, Milwaukee is ranked first in the NBA. Chicago has a solid 23-13 record when it gives up at least 9 steals.
