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An epic Eastern Conference showdown is in the works on Monday as the Chicago Bulls battle it out with the Milwaukee Bucks in the great state of Wisconsin. Check out our NBA odds series where our Bulls-Bucks prediction and pick will be revealed.
Most recently, the Bulls were able to defend their home court with a 119-108 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Overall, Chicago hasn't quite clicked on all cylinders up to this point with a 4-6 record overall, but they are keeping their fingers crossed that their hard-fought victory will help the team catch fire.
Meanwhile, the Bucks are in the midst of their toughest stretch of the season, which has resulted in back-to-back losses to the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic. With sky-high expectations and only three years removed from hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy, the Bucks aren't hitting the panic button quite yet only nine games into the regular season.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Bulls-Bucks Odds
Chicago Bulls: +9.5 (-110)
Milwaukee Bucks: -9.5 (-110)
Over: 230 (-110)
Under: 230 (-110)
How to Watch Bulls vs. Bucks
Time: 8:00 ET/5:00 PT
TV: Bally Sports Wisconsin/NBC Sports Chicago
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Bulls Could Cover The Spread
Without question, this has been a franchise that has fallen on hard times of late. Believe it or not, but Chicago has managed to reach postseason play just once in the past six seasons and are more than parched to return to their former glory.
Despite getting off to a slower start than they would like, revolving the offense around star Zach LaVine continues to be the best option Chicago has at handing Milwaukee their third-straight loss. A bonafide threat from deep and also as a slasher to the rim, LaVine is wildly athletic in all aspects of the game. Whether he posterizes a defender or pulls up from three, there is no question that LaVine will need to be at his best against one of the more elite squads that the Eastern Conference has to offer.
While the offense has lacked, their defense has shown glimpses of being elite. Overall, Chicago owns the 15th-best defensive rating in the NBA. In fact, the Bulls are known to slow the tempo down in a majority of games in order to lock down their defensive assignments and wreak havoc in the turnover department. Who knows, the Bulls could shock the basketball world by forcing the Bucks to contested jumpers and getting out in transition after forcing some Milwaukee turnovers.
Why The Bucks Could Cover The Spread
If there is one thing that the Bucks are looking forward to on Monday night, it is the fact that they'll be back home on their hardwood in front of what should be a roaring crowd. Remember, Milwaukee owned one of the more premier home-court advantages in all of the NBA a year ago en route to a 32-9 overall record at the Fiserv Forum. Without a doubt, there is no place like home if you are a Milwaukee Buck.
In addition to being at home, the return of all-world point guard Damian Lillard will clearly be a sight for sore eyes. After missing out on play the last couple games due to a calf ailment, Dame-Time is officially listed as probable for tonight's contest. Although the sample size has been relatively small, the Bucks look absolutely terrifying when Lillard and Giannis are on the court at the same time. Clearly, this will be one of the more dynamic duos in all of the NBA the rest of the season and it remains unclear if the Bulls will be able to have answers for the Bucks and their pair of superstars.
Of course, the return of Lillard could solve the issues at hand in terms of giving Giannis some much-needed help. In shocking fashion, the Bucks have found ways to lose their last two games despite the Greek Freak dropping 35 and 54 points in the box score respectively. With that being said, Milwaukee's bench unit needs to show up after being close to invisible over the past week or so. If the Bucks' bench can outscore the Bulls bench when Lillard and Antetokounmpo are resting, then the Bucks should run away with this one.
Final Bulls-Bucks Prediction & Pick
This just screams as a get-right game for Milwaukee. Surely, Chicago will give it their all, but the talent that exudes in and around this Bucks roster will be too tough to overcome for the visiting team tonight.
Final Bulls-Bucks Prediction & Pick: Bucks -9.5 (-110)
