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The Bulls visit the Bucks on Friday night! The Bulls look to stay undefeated after winning their first game, while the Bulls lost their first game and need to bounce back. Let's continue our NBA odds series with a Bulls-Bucks prediction and pick.
The Bulls are in a weird position this season. They did not do much in the offseason to improve or get worse. They might be on their way to a play-in spot once again. They lost their first game against the Pelicans. However, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic were the best players on the court for the Bulls, and they will be key for the team for the rest of the season if the Bulls are going to be competitive.
The Bucks were great last year, but they were not up to the standard that they normally were, and there were a lot of new things about the roster, with Doc Rivers joining mid-season and it being Damian Lillard's first season there. They won their first game of the season against the 76ers. They should be one of the best teams in the NBA all season this year.
Here are the Bulls-Bucks NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Bulls-Bucks Odds
Chicago Bulls: +9.5 (-112)
Moneyline: +315
Milwaukee Bucks: -9.5 (-108)
Moneyline: -400
Over: 231 (-110)
Under: 231 (-110)
How To Watch Bulls vs Bucks
Time: 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Bulls Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Bulls were not great on offense last season. They were 22nd in scoring at 112.3 points per game, 18th in field goal percentage at 47%%, and 20th in three-point percentage at 35.8%. Then, this season, five different Bulls hit over double digits in their first game, with Zach LaVine leading at 27 points. Coby White then led the way in assists in their first game at six on the night. This offense lost DeMar DeRozan in the offseason, so they might struggle during the rest of the year, even more than they did this past season.
The Bulls' defense was around average last season. They were 16th in scoring defense at 113.7 points per game, 16th in field goal defense at 47.3%, and 20th in three-point defense at 37%. Nikola Vucevic was the key for the defense last year down low, and so far this season, he led the way with 11 rebounds in the first game. Then, two players hit one block, and Coby White and Patrick Williams tied for the team lead. Four players also had one steal in their first game, with Coby White, Jalen Smith, Dalen Terry, and Julian Phillips tied.
Why the Bucks Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Bucks' offense was great last season. They were fifth in scoring at 124 points per game, 3rd in field goal percentage at 53.8% from the field, and 3rd in three-point shooting at 43.2% from behind the arc. Six Bucks hit at least double digits in scoring in their first game of the season, with Damian Lillard leading at 30 points. Three players had at least six assists in their first game, with Giannis Antetokounmpo leading at seven assists in just the first game. This team goes as Giannis goes, and with Damian Lillard, it should help in year two having him as extra help for the Bucks on offense.
The Bucks' defense struggled last season. They allowed 116.4 points per game, 47% from the field, and 35.6% from behind the arc. They have a great front line with Brook Lopez and Giannis. Lopez led in rebounding at 14, while Lopez had six blocks in the first game. Then, with on-ball defense, Bobby Portis led the way in steals in game 1 at two. The Bucks have the pieces of being great on defense, but they need to show it after struggling last season.
Final Bulls-Bucks Prediction & Pick
The Bulls are not doing much this year. Zach LaVine is great and should get his fair share of buckets against the Bucks, but the Bucks are the better team. It can be hard to trust a Doc Rivers-coached team, but the Bucks have more talent and should easily win and cover at home.
Final Bulls-Bucks Prediction & Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -9.5 (-108)
