The champions kick off the postseason!
The Milwaukee Bucks start their mission of defending their title against the Chicago Bulls. The home side have won all four of their season duels against the six-time champions.
Milwaukee Bucks – Statistics & current form
The champions lost the last game of the regular season against the Cavs from Cleveland, but also spared numerous stars in Ohio, which is why the defeat can quickly be put into perspective.
As third in the East, the ticket for the postseason was once again booked in a commanding manner and in the end only two victories were missing on the yield of the first in the table from Miami.
Head coach Mike Budenholzer can still rely on Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek delivered another very strong season and is in the running for the title of MVP.
In addition, the Bucks were collectively convincing in the forward play: Only Utah and Atlanta were ahead of the basketballers from the Brew City in the NBA’s offensive rating at the final tally of the regular season.
Chicago Bulls – Statistics & current form
The hoopsters from the Windy City have not been convincing in recent weeks. Only five of the last 15 league games ended with a win for Head Coach Billy Donovan’s selection. However, the Bulls should not be written off prematurely.
With DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine they have two very accurate players on board, who together average more than 52 points per game.
Nikola Vucevic is also one of the best centres in the NBA, averaging a double-double in points and rebounds.
Milwaukee Bucks – Chicago Bulls Tip
For Game 1 between the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls, the tip aims for more than 119.5 points by the home side. The Bucks scored 114.3 points on 100 possessions during the regular season, ranking third in offensive rating.
In addition, although Chicago is also an offensively strong opponent, the defensive work of the visitors is much weaker in comparison. Only seven teams were behind the Donovan squad in the defensive rating.
With this in mind, there are plenty of points in store for the champions. This was also evident in the last two head-to-head duels, when the Bucks recorded 126 and 127 points.
