Bucks vs Bulls

Chicago’s five-game winning streak, including last night’s comeback over Philadelphia, contrasts sharply with Milwaukee’s 2-8 skid without Giannis and their latest 21-point loss in Memphis, making the Bulls the side I trust on the moneyline despite the juice. With Giannis Antetokounmpo still managing a right calf/soleus issue and officially listed as out on the injury report (even if some local reporting leaves the door open for a minutes-limited return), plus Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr. also sidelined, the Bucks remain thinner on two-way wings than they’d like. On the other side, Chicago is close to full strength outside of rookie forward Noa Essengue’s season-ending shoulder injury, and the current core of Josh Giddey, Nikola Vucevic and Coby White has been driving a top-tier recent offense while holding serve at home. Giannis has historically demolished the Bulls (around 25/10/5 per game in his career), but if he’s out or limited, Milwaukee has to lean heavily on Ryan Rollins, Bobby Portis and Kyle Kuzma against a Bulls group that’s finally defending with some cohesion and sitting at 15-15 with rising confidence. Given Chicago’s home form (8-6), Milwaukee’s 4-11 road mark, and the roster health gap, I’m comfortable backing Bulls -190 on the moneyline, but the relatively steep price and the small chance of a full-force Giannis return keep this at a B rather than A-level value. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 27/12/2025 09:44([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/team/roster/_/name/mil/milwaukee-bucks))

Milwaukee’s leaky defense and Chicago’s current offensive groove push me toward the Over 234.5, even at such an inflated number. The Bulls are averaging roughly 119 points per game on the season and have exploded for 126, 152, 136 and 126 in four of their last five wins, riding Giddey’s 20-a-night playmaking, Vucevic’s inside-out scoring and a revived Coby White to one of the league’s more free-flowing half-court attacks. Milwaukee, meanwhile, is giving up about 116–117 points per game, owns the worst rebounding rate in the league, and just surrendered 125 to Memphis while fielding smaller lineups without Giannis anchoring the back line, a combination that invites second-chance points and transition threes. Even if Antetokounmpo tests his calf and plays in a limited role, his presence may actually help the Over by juicing the Bucks’ efficiency while not fully solving their defensive rotations with so many backup wings still in the mix. The main risk is a Bulls blowout that slows the fourth-quarter pace, but given Chicago’s tendency to play close, high-scoring games and both teams’ recent totals profile, I lean Over 234.5 at -110 with a B- grade on confidence and value. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 27/12/2025 09:44([africa.espn.com](https://africa.espn.com/nba/preview/_/gameId/401810292?utm_source=openai))

Milwaukee getting +4.5 points is attractive because, even with Chicago riding that five-game heater, the Bulls’ overall .500 record and negative season-long point differential suggest more of a solid mid-pack team than a juggernaut that routinely blows opponents out. Giannis has historically crushed Chicago (around 25 points, 10 boards and 5 assists per game over 40+ meetings), and while his right calf/soleus issue plus the absences of Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr. obviously dampen Milwaukee’s ceiling, it has also forced the Bucks to diversify through Ryan Rollins, Bobby Portis, Kyle Kuzma and sharpshooter AJ Green—enough shot creation to keep them within striking distance in most nights. Chicago’s lone major injury is Essengue’s season-ending shoulder surgery, and their current core of Giddey, Vucevic, White and Zach Collins has been excellent, but many of their recent wins (like back-to-back three-point decisions over Atlanta and a seven-point grind against Philly) have been tight, late-game possessions battles more than comfortable covers. With the Bulls priced as decent home favorites on the moneyline and the spread sitting at a relatively short 4.5, there’s a reasonable path to Chicago winning outright while Milwaukee sneaks in under the number behind veteran scoring and some Giannis minutes—even if he’s not at his usual dominant level—making Bucks +4.5 at -105 a B-grade play on the combination of cover probability and price. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 27/12/2025 09:44([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/team/roster/_/name/mil/milwaukee-bucks))