Milwaukee Bucks vs Chicago Bulls 3/4/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Predictions

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls Matchup Preview (3/4/22)

After an insane fourth-quarter comeback win against the Miami Heat, the Milwaukee Bucks will gallop to the Windy City to battle with the Bulls. Milwaukee overcame a massive deficit late in the fourth quarter with a 21-6 run to grab the win against another one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. A jump ball that the Bucks secured led to a game-winning floater on the left block from Jrue Holiday. The Bucks have now won two straight games, overcoming a moderate slump that saw them drop four of their past five games. That streak included losses to the Brooklyn Nets and Portland Trail Blazers, who have been two of the worst teams in the NBA recently. Still, this Bucks team is dangerous, and they will have the opportunity to win three straight in Chicago on Friday night.

The Chicago Bulls still have yet to return a few key contributors, including Patrick Williams, Alex Caruso, and Lonzo Ball. Those players make up two starters and a critical sixth man off the bench. The good news is that Williams, Ball, and Caruso should all return before the start of the playoffs, making Chicago one of the sneakier teams in the Eastern Conference. This matchup, in particular, will be the second night of a back-to-back, so it will be intriguing to see how the Bulls look and if they will have legs or not. Take a look below to see who I have pulling this game out and covering the spread in what will likely be a barnburner matchup.

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls Betting Odds

The Chicago Bulls are coming off a loss against the Atlanta Hawks where they allowed 130 points. Surprisingly, Chicago lost while shooting over 59% from the field. No, that is not a typo. The Bulls literally lost to the Atlanta Hawks while shooting nearly 60% from the field. There is something really twisted with that, and I don’t like them carrying that energy back to Chicago. I will take the Milwaukee Bucks’ Moneyline, much to my dismay. Milwaukee has had so many letdown games this season, so I’m not thrilled about this spot, but I don’t think the Bulls’ defense can hold this Bucks squad. I will also be eyeing the point total, depending on where it comes out later tonight.

How To Watch

Date: 3/4/22
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Arena: United Center – Chicago, IL
Channel: ESPN

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Milwaukee Bucks Starting Lineup

PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Grayson Allen
SF: Khris Middleton
PF: Bobby Portis
C: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Milwaukee Bucks Analysis

Milwaukee has been hot and cold pretty much all season. It’s a coin flip whether or not the Bucks want to show up on a nightly basis. Regardless of this, they are still sitting at fourth in the Eastern Conference after the All-Star break. Currently, Giannis Antetokounmpo has the highest PER (player efficiency rating) in the history of the NBA; all he needs to do is keep playing at this level, and he will break the record. This is another indicator of how great Giannis has been this season; however, unfortunately, it also proves the Bucks have been an underperforming team as well. It is not easy betting on the Bucks for this reason, but they still could be a team that goes deep in the post-season, regardless of their regular-season behavior.

Chicago Bulls Starting Lineup

PG: Ayo Dosunmu
SG: Zach LaVine
SF: DeMar DeRozan
PF: Javonte Green
C: Nikola Vucevic

Chicago Bulls Analysis

Chicago has dropped back-to-back games to the Memphis Grizzlies and Miami Heat: those are not bad losses, but you can’t help but wonder what this team would look like if they had Alex Caruso, Lonzo Ball, and Patrick Williams fully healthy. We should find out in the next six weeks or so, and if DeMar DeRozan keeps playing this well, they could be a sneaky championship contender. DeRozan broke a Wilt Chamberlain record this season. How many players can say that they have done that? There are few sentences that better emphasize how well DeRozan has been this season, and he has not slowed down at all. His streak of scoring 35+ points in a game was snapped against the Grizzlies on February 26th, when he scored 31 points. However, this holds no bearing on the dominance he has shown. This team goes when he goes, and it will be scary to add three incredibly talented players back into the mix.

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls Daily Fantasy Picks

If you can ignore and look past his game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Ayo Dosunmu has been fantastic at point guard for the Bulls since Lonzo Ball has been out. Dosunmu has looked like he should have been a lottery pick in his past seven games, averaging 11 points, six assists, and five rebounds on a 55/40/83 shooting split. The Memphis game was not good for Dosunmu as he finished with zero points, but that was a fluke, in my opinion. His averages would be even higher if you remove that game from the equation. Ironically, shooting was one of the significant concerns for Dosunmu in terms of projectability, but he has shot the lights out this season. You can still get Dosunmu for cheap in terms of salary in DFS, and his upside is way too huge to pass up.

One player who has surprised everyone over the past calendar year is Bobby Portis, who has made himself a consistent and valued starter for the Milwaukee Bucks. Portis has dropped some huge numbers in his past two games, averaging 25 points and 11 rebounds on nearly 57% from the field and from behind the arc. Portis has shot the lights out this season, and this trend should continue throughout the rest of the season. If Nikola Vucevic gets stuck guarding Portis, then Portis should see plenty of opportunities from three because Vooch does not close out all that well on three-point shooters.