The Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks are both in the thick of the playoff hunt in the Eastern Conference, and facing off against each other could have big ramifications down the road.
Chicago has the better record early on but Milwaukee has the home court advantage, so this one could be a toss-up and end up being quite competitive. Milwaukee has played better at home than on the road this season and will aim to keep that up.
This war on the floor will go down Thursday, December 15, 2016, at 8 p.m. ET at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. The game will be televised live on TNT.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Thursday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Bulls are 13-10 straight up and also 13-10 against the spread on the season. Chicago could be either a slight favorite or slight underdog in this one. The Bulls are 6-6 against the spread as the favorite this season and 7-4 trying to cover as the underdog.
The Bucks are 11-12 straight up on the season and 10-13 against the spread. Milwaukee has covered in seven of 14 tries at home. It is 4-5 against the spread as the favorite and 6-7 as the underdog.
Player to Watch
Jimmy Butler – The Bulls small forward is the team’s leading scorer this season, averaging 25.6 points a game. He put up 31 points against the Heat on December 10th and also scored 32 against the Pistons on December 6th.
Butler scored a season-high 40 points against the Lakers on November 20th. The sixth-year player is having is most impressive season to date and will look to continue that against the Bucks this week.
Scheduling Situation
This is the first of back-to-back meeting between the teams on consecutive days. They will play in Milwaukee on Thursday and then in Chicago on Friday.
The Bulls will assuredly be favorites when they return home, so it seems critical for the Bucks to come away with this home victory. These are division rivals who have faced off plenty of times through the years.
Chicago has generally held the upper hand, but the Bucks are closer in talent level this season. There is a big muddled bunch of teams in the East underneath the Cleveland Cavaliers, and they may be all fighting for playoff position for the next several months.
Milwaukee would benefit from winning this game and sticking with the rest of the pack.
Free NBA ATS Pick
The Bulls have looked pretty good early in the season, leaning on Butler and Dwyane Wade to put together a solid record. Chicago isn’t a legitimate NBA championship contender, but it certainly seems like a playoff team and one capable of winning a series or two.
Chicago has the best passer in this game in Rajon Rondo and he will aim to set up his teammates for some easy buckets against a Milwaukee team which is not great defensively.
The Bucks are harder to figure but have a talented young nucleus which is led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is averaging 21.9 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 2.1 blocks and 2.0 steals per game, which leads the team in every category.
Jabari Parker is the other player on the team who is averaging in double figures at 19.0 points per game. The Bucks could be a rising team with a duo that is so young and athletic, but it doesn’t have enough depth to be a legitimate force.
While this one could come down to the wire, the home court advantage is the key as the Bucks should be able to claim a close one. It will be needed as the teams return to Chicago the next day.
NBA Odds: Bucks 101, Bulls 99
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