The No. 6 Milwaukee Bucks (1-3 SU, 1-3 ATS) look to stave off elimination when they visit the No. 3 Chicago Bulls (3-1 SU, 3-1 ATS) for Game Five of their first-round playoff series Monday. You can watch the game live on TNT.
The Bucks extended their season another game with a dramatic 92-90 win on Saturday and can now put the pressure of winning squarely on the shoulders of the favored Bulls. If the young Bucks hope to stave off elimination once again they’ll have to deal the Bulls their first home loss since mid-March and win at the United Center for the first time since December 2013.
The Bulls weren’t able to close the series on the first try and will attempt to do so when they get another chance Monday. Chicago’s had a tough time with the intensity and athleticism of Milwaukee but should feel better about their chances back home where they’ve won nine in a row by an average of 12.9 points. They also held the Bucks to an average of 86 points in winning the first two games by a combined 21 points.
KEY INJURY
Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic returned to the lineup Saturday after missing Thursday’s game with a quadriceps injury and scored five points in 20 minutes. Also, guard Kirk Hinrich is available after missing the final three regular season games and first two of this series. He’s played sparingly with no points in each of the last two series games.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“It we can run these guys off the line, and make them shoot tough, contested two-pointers, we think we have a good chance. We’re still believing. We’re not giving up on this series and we’re going to keep going and see what happens.” – Bucks guard Jerryd Bayless
BETTING TRENDS
- Milwaukee is 1-4 ATS in its last five games overall.
- Chicago is 7-2 ARTS in its last nine home games.
- The UNDER is 6-2 in the last eight head-to-head meetings.
KEY STATS
82.8: The Bucks averaged of 82.8 points in four games in Chicago this season not scoring more than 91 in a game while losing all four by 45 points.
4: Bulls center Pau Gasol has four straight double-doubles in the series and is averaging 13.5 points and 13.3 rebounds.
18: Milwaukee forced the Bulls into a season-high 28 turnovers Saturday and have coaxed 80 in the four series games.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Bucks have made things difficult for the Bulls with their length and athleticism forcing Chicago into 80 turnovers in four games with their tenacious defense. The Bucks are playing with house money and a little confidence after getting a win Saturday and that makes them dangerous. Their play on defense isn’t surprising since the Bucks led the NBA in turnovers forced during the regular season with 17.4 per game and they’ve been better in the postseason. Although they got a win and forced a bunch of turnovers Saturday the Bucks still needed a last second basket to avoid being swept. They will need to score more to get a win Monday in Chicago.
With a chance to close out the series with a sweep, the Bulls committed two costly errors in the final seconds to keep the series alive. A Derrick Rose turnover – his eighth and the Bulls’ 28th of the game – gave the Bucks a chance and they took advantage when Rose was caught sleeping on a backdoor cut and Jerryd Bayless hit the winning layup at the buzzer. “You turn it over 28 times and to be in that position, you’re doing a lot of things right. We’ve just got to correct the things we’re not doing right,” Bulls forward Mike Dunleavy said.
Though they’re forcing turnovers the Bucks haven’t had an answer defensively for Jimmy Butler, who scored a playoff career-high 33 points Saturday and averages 28.3 this postseason. Derrick Rose has been wildly inconsistent but he’s playing and showing no affects from the knee injury that cost him the last month of the regular season. Give the Bucks credit, they’re not going away quietly and they’re making the Bulls earn everything. Unfortunately Milwaukee just doesn’t have the firepower and Chicago advances with a win Monday.
Chicago 98, Milwaukee 90
BookMaker will be the first to send out the NBA spread for this game. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time odds and player props during the game. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
Need to fund your account before the big game but don’t have your computer? No problem, BookMaker sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet, click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The contest between the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls will take place Monday, April 27, 2015, at 8 p.m. ET at the United Center. The contest will be broadcast nationally on TNT.
