The Milwaukee Bucks face the Chicago Bulls at the Fiserv Forum on Monday night. The Bucks are looking to bounce back from their defeat to the Indiana Pacers and know a win is crucial to help keep the pressure on the Boston Celtics at the top of the Eastern Conference. Here, we preview the match and tell you the best bets in our latest NBA betting picks.
The Bucks would have had high hopes of winning the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament and would have been bitterly disappointed by their 9-point defeat to the Pacers in Vegas last Thursday. The 128-119 loss would have hit hard, especially given that they were winning 94-91 at the end of a pulsating third quarter.
But the Bucks were 63-51 down at the halfway point, so it could be that they emptied the tank getting back into the game in the third section and were simply running on empty in the fourth.
The Bucks don’t have long to wait to gain revenge over Indiana, as the Pacers visit Wisconsin on Wednesday. But before their redemption match, Milwaukee has to face the Chicago Bulls. And with the busy Christmas and New Year schedule fast approaching, the Bucks need to ensure they pick up as many victories as possible, as there is always a good chance the franchise will drop wins over the hectic holiday period. A problem all sides face in fairness.
As for the Pacers, they went down 123-109 to the Lakers in the final of the In-Season Tournament. They take on the Pistons on Monday, before stepping into the Lions’ den to try and get the better of the Bucks again on Wednesday.
So, with the In-Season Tournament over, attention can again return to the NBA Championship. The Bucks started the season as the favorite, but they are now joint-second in the latest odds with the best NBA finals betting sites.
The favorite is the Boston Celtics at +350. The Bucks and Nuggets are +400, with the Suns at +650. The same four franchises have dominated the betting all season, and that shows no sign of changing anytime soon.
The Golden State Warriors (+1400), Philadelphia 76ers (+1500), and the LA Lakers (+1600) are the next franchises in the betting. For the Bulls to win the NBA Championship, you can get odds of +30000. Chicago is also +400 to make the postseason playoffs and -600 to not be playing beyond the end of the regular season. As for the Bucks, they are -4000 to make the playoffs with BetOnline. The same betting site makes Milwaukee +1600 not to reach the playoffs.
Onto the match betting, and with the Bucks being one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference and the NBA Championship, it’s no surprise to see the best NBA betting sites are heavily favoring Adrian Griffin’s team to make light work of the Bulls.
The Bucks are -550 to win on the money line. The Bulls are +400 to upset the home team. On the handicap spread, the Bulls are receiving a 10.5-point start. To win with the spread, Chicago is -110. To win and cover the spread, the Bucks are also -110.
Finally, on the over/under points spread, the bookmakers are saying 232.5 points. Both over and under 232.5 is -110.
Below are more options from different sportsbooks on our NBA betting table. You can read more about the bookmakers we have used on our online sportsbook reviews page.
| Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bucks | -550 | -550 | -550 |
| Bulls | +400 | +400 | +400 |
| Bucks (-10.5) | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Bulls (+10.5) | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Over 232.5 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 232.5 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
The Bulls have a 9-14 record so far in the 2023/24 NBA season. At home, they are 7-6, but on the road, they have really struggled and have a poor 2-8 record. But, they are currently on a four-match winning streak. And one of their two road-trip wins came in their last match, away to the San Antonio Spurs on Friday – this, despite the record-breaking heroics of Victor Wembanyama.
We do feel that the Bucks could be vulnerable on Monday night. They will be smarting from the loss to the Pacers, and may already have one eye on Wednesday night’s rematch. So, no way are we going anywhere near the money line. But when you look at the road-trip record of the Bulls, it’s hard to have any faith in them getting a win in Wisconsin.
Can the Bucks cover the spread? Before their defeat to the Pacers, they defeated the Knicks by 24 points, the Hawks by 11 points, and the Bulls by 7 points. The wins over the Knicks and the Hawks were at home. The 120-113 win over the Bulls was in Illinois and required overtime.
At the Fiserv Forum, the Bucks are 10-2, and they are 7-3 in their last ten outings this season. We feel the bookmakers have got the spread about right. But if the Bucks are on song, we expect them to better their 7-point win over the Bulls at the United Center at the end of November. So we are going for the Bucks to win and cover the spread for our betting pick.
Check below for our list of the top sportsbooks where you can wager online:
About the Author
Over the last 10 years, Dean has sharpened his expertise in crafting and revising content for his soccer and cricket betting platforms. Driven by his passion for sports betting and writing, he embarked on a journey of writing about sports wagering. Although Dean's preferred areas of focus are the English Premier League and cricket, his extensive sports knowledge enables him to tackle nearly any sport. Gone are the days of traveling the world to witness events like FIFA World Cups and Ashes cricket, as Dean now prefers the comfort of his own home while enjoying sports.
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