Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks begin the defense of their NBA championship with a first-round series against DeMar DeRozan and the Chicago Bulls. Game 1 is Sunday at Fiserv Forum.
The third-seeded Bucks swept their four-game series with the Bulls, the last two by 21 and 28 points. DeRozan has scored 31.3 ppg vs. Milwaukee this season, offering hope if Chicago’s other key players step up.
Ahead of Game 1, our NBA handicapper Adam Thompson breaks down the series and makes his NBA picks to back on betting apps.
Bulls vs Bucks Odds
| Market | Bucks Odds | Bulls Odds |
| To Win Series | -1000 | +650 |
| To Win 4-0 | +255 | +7500 |
| To Win 4-1 | +190 | +5000 |
| To Win 4-2 | +370 | +1600 |
| To Win 4-3 | +475 | +1600 |
| Total Games Played | 7 Games | 6 Games | 5 Games | 4 Games |
| Odds | +360 | +290 | +185 | +250 |
Odds via DraftKings and accurate as of publication.
Bulls vs Bucks Betting Tips
Nobody Covers At Fiserv: The Bucks are only 15-23 ATS at home this season when laying points. That said, the Bulls are 7-15 ATS as a road underdog. Of any team that was the underdog more than 13 times, only the Hawks (6-18) were worse.
Brew City Under: This year and last, all four games played in Milwaukee between these teams finished Under the total. The two this season finished under by 10.5 and 43.5 points.
Greek Freak: Giannis has dominated most opponents this season and the Bulls are no exception. He’s averaged 45.1 combined points, rebounds and assists vs. Chicago. That’s actually under the 47.3 PRA he averages on the year, but keep in mind he played under 30 minutes in two of those victories, including only 24 in one of them (for a 36 PRA).
Bulls vs Bucks Picks
Chicago isn’t being given much of a shot here on NBA betting sites. Milwaukee is a whopping -1000 favorite to win the series, compared to +650 for Chicago. Milwaukee to sweep is only +255 on betting apps.
Those NBA odds aside, it’s tough to imagine Chicago advancing here. The Bulls have floundered of late and veteran Milwaukee is hitting its stride. Taking any team at -1000 doesn’t sound great, however. But the Bucks in five games (+190) isn’t horrible. The Bulls have a great core in DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, but we’re not considering any Bulls bets this series.
Bulls vs Bucks Schedule
Game 1: April 17, Chicago at Milwaukee, 6:30 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 2: April 20, Chicago at Milwaukee, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 3: April 22, Milwaukee at Chicago, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 4: April 24, Milwaukee at Chicago, 1 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 5-7: TBD if necessary