The Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls will square off at the United Center for Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round series on Sunday afternoon. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes our Bucks-Bulls prediction, odds, and pick we have laid out below.

 

The defending champion Bucks bounced back in a big way with a 111-81 road win in Game 3 after dropping Game 2 in Milwaukee. Grayson Allen led the Bucks in scoring with 22 points and five 3-pointers off the bench. Bobby Portis replaced the injured Khris Middleton in the starting lineup and came up huge with 18 points and 16 rebounds. They didn't need too much from Giannis Antetokounmpo, as he had quite a light night by his standards with 18 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists.

The Bulls had nothing going, getting held to 39.3 percent shooting from the field and 26.4 percent shooting from 3. DeMar DeRozan followed a 41-point performance in Game 2 with 11 points on just nine shots in Game 3. Nikola Vucevic led the way for the Bulls with 19 points, while Zach LaVine had 15.

Here is how FanDuel has set the Bucks-Bulls Game 4 odds for the 2022 NBA Playoffs.

NBA odds: Bucks-Bulls Game 4 Odds

Milwaukee Bucks: -4.5 (-110)

Chicago Bulls: +4.5 (-110)

Over: 218.5 (-112)

Under: 218.5 (-110)

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Why the Bucks could cover the spread

Despite the blowout victory in Game 3, this is a pretty narrow spread for the Bucks to cover. Milwaukee had a solid offensive outing on Thursday, making 47.3 percent from the field and knocking down 15 triples. They also put the clamps on the Bulls, holding them to just 81 points, which supplanted Game 1's 86-point output as Chicago's second-lowest scoring game this season. The Bucks punched the Bulls in the mouth early and never let up. They did their damage in the first and third quarters, outscoring Chicago by 16 and 12 points, respectively.

Grayson Allen had a playoff career-high 22 points and five triples, while Bobby Portis stepped into the starting lineup with a huge double-double night. Together, they scored 17 quick points for the Bucks through the first quarter. The defending champs will need these kinds of performances from their supporting cast to cover for the absence of Khris Middleton, who suffered a sprained MCL in Game 2.

The supersized starting unit clearly worked with Portis joining Lopez and Antetokounmpo in the front court. Portis started 59 games in the regular season and took advantage of another opportunity by coming out of Game 3 firing. He should continue with the same mindset on Sunday as the Bucks try to put their clamps on the series.

Antetokounmpo had a relatively quiet night for his standards in Game 3. If he decides to put his foot down on Sunday, this should be another long night for Bulls fans at the United Center.

Aside from Middleton, backup guard George Hill is also out with an abdominal strain. Coach Mike Budenholzer revealed prior to Game 2 that they don't expect the veteran to return anytime soon.

Why the Bulls could cover the spread

The Bulls followed up a poor shooting night in Game 1 with a terrific outing in Game 2. That could be the trend in Game 4 given the way they shot the ball on Thursday. DeMar DeRozan should look to be more assertive offensively after taking just nine shots in Game 3. Zach LaVine should also be more aggressive as the Bucks bottled him up to just 15 points on 13 shot attempts.

Chicago should take advantage of the fact that Khris Middleton is out for Milwaukee. They proved in Game 2 they can pour it on offensively against this Bucks team. But as hot as they were in that outing, it was the total opposite in both Games 1 and 3, where they had their second and third worst scoring outputs this season.

The Bulls are definitely missing Lonzo Ball, who is done for the season with a torn meniscus. He is someone who can set the table for them offensively and get this team running in transition.

Nonetheless, Chicago has a lot of offensive firepower left in DeRozan, LaVine, and Vucevic. Those three can score 20 to 25 points on any given night. And with this upcoming contest being a must-win, look for them to be more aggressive offensively. LaVine, in particular, needs to step up, as he is only averaging 17.7 points and has attempted just 45 shots and nine free throws in three games so far. Those numbers are a far cry from his regular-season output, where he averaged 24.4 points while putting up nearly 18 shot attempts and six free throws nightly.

Final Bucks-Bulls prediction and pick

The Bucks should be the pick here considering the way they dominated both sides of the ball in Game 3. It seems like the Bulls have awakened the sleeping giant, and the defending champs will keep it rolling in Game 4.

Final Bucks-Bulls Prediction & Pick: Bucks -4.5 (-110)