The Milwaukee Bucks (15-12) travel to face off against the Chicago Bulls (13-16) on Monday, December 23rd. This game will be played at United Center in Chicago and televised on CHSN. The Bucks are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Bulls are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Bulls. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.

Bucks vs Bulls

The Bucks Are Coming Off A Win

Milwaukee improved to 15-12 on the season with a 112-101 win over the Wizards on Saturday. The Bucks, who were favored by 8.5 points, covered the spread, while the total points of 213 fell short of the 218.5 O/U line.

A key moment in the game was Milwaukee’s 14-0 run, which stretched the score from 48-44 to 62-44. The Bucks held the Wizards to 14 points in the 2nd quarter and went into the 4th with an 86-72 lead, although Washington outscored them 29-26 in the final period.

The Bulls Are Coming Off A Win

The Bulls fell to 13-16 on the season after a 123-98 home loss to the Celtics on Saturday. Chicago entered the game as +12 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total score of 221 points fell short of the 239.5-point over/under line.

After a 28-28 tie in the 1st quarter, Boston took control with a 10-0 run, stretching the score from 51-47 to 57-51. The Celtics outscored the Bulls 33-26 in the 2nd quarter, 32-23 in the 3rd, and 30-21 in the 4th.

Bucks Offense Breakdown

Bobby Portis led the Bucks to a win over the Wizards, scoring 34 points with 10 rebounds and 8 assists, shooting 66.7% from the field and hitting 6 threes at the same percentage. Khris Middleton added 18 points and 8 assists, making 4 threes at 66.7% efficiency.

The Bucks made 20 threes as a team, shooting 41.7% from deep, though their overall field goal percentage was 44.9%. Portis scored 13 points in the 1st quarter and added 10 more in the 2nd, finishing with 9 in the 4th.

Bulls Offense Breakdown

In their 123-98 loss to the Celtics on Saturday, the Bulls struggled offensively, shooting just 37.8% from the field. Their three-point shooting was below average at 34.1%, though they did hit 14 threes in the game.

Nikola Vucevic led the Bulls with 19 points and 10 rebounds, scoring 7 points in the 4th quarter. Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, and Coby White each added 14 points, with LaVine hitting 4 threes at an 80% clip.

Bucks Team Defense

Despite a rough 1st quarter, where the Bucks gave up 36 points, they tightened up their defense in the 2nd, allowing just 14 points. They continued their strong defensive performance in the 3rd quarter, giving up only 22 points, before allowing 29 in the 4th. Overall, they held the Wizards to 101 points on 44% shooting.

The Bucks struggled to defend the three-point line, allowing Washington to hit 18 threes at a 42% clip. Milwaukee sent the Wizards to the free-throw line 16 times, where they made 11. The Bucks finished with 34 defensive rebounds, gave up 8 offensive boards, and recorded 12 steals.

Bulls Team Defense

Despite a tough 1st quarter where they allowed 36 points, the Bucks’ defense tightened up, giving up just 14 points in the 2nd quarter to help secure a 112-101 win over the Wizards. Milwaukee held Washington to 22 points in the 3rd quarter, though they allowed 29 in the 4th. Overall, the Bucks gave up 101 points on 44% shooting.

The Bucks struggled to defend the three, as the Wizards hit 18 threes at a 42% clip. Milwaukee sent Washington to the line 16 times, where they made 11 free throws. The Bucks finished with 34 defensive rebounds, allowing 8 offensive boards, while also recording 12 steals and 2 blocks.

Bucks vs Bulls Trends

• Although Milwaukee has a straight up record of 3-7 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 4-6. The team averaged 108 points per game in these games.
• When looking at their past three matchups at home, Chicago has an ATS record of 2-0-1 while averaging 126 per game. The team went 3-0 overall in these games.
• The last ten games that Chicago was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 4-6 while going 3-7 straight up.
• Through their last five matchups as the betting favorite, the Bucks have a good straight up record, but their ATS mark is just 2-3.

Bucks vs Bulls Prediction

We’re putting our money on the Bucks to win, and have the projected score sitting at 142-140. We also like them to cover the spread, so our recommendation is to bet on the Bucks at -1.5.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 233.5, and our model projects the Bucks and Bulls to reach a combined total of 282 points. Our bet is on taking the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.