Chicago Bulls vs. Milwaukee Bucks Prediction (February 3rd, 2026)
You have your options on Tuesday night, as the NBA rolls out a big 10-game betting slate. There are bigger games and plenty of opportunities, but the most inviting spot might be a showdown between the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum.
Chicago heads up to Mil-town as 3.5-point favorites at DraftKings, and it’s a marvel they aren’t priced even higher. They are on the road and will be without star point guard Josh Giddey, but the Bucks are down Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Porter Jr., and don’t seem to care about winning these days.
Even if the Bucks did want to win, it’s been hard to overcome the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumor chatter, and not having two key starters naturally limits them. With both teams banged up, it creates an interesting matchup that is potentially mispriced.
This is a game bettors can pounce on from several angles, but which Bulls vs. Bucks picks stand out? I’ll point you to the best bets as I analyze the latest odds and key matchups, while wrapping things up with a final Bulls vs. Bucks prediction.
Game Details
- Matchup: Chicago Bulls (24-26) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (18-29)
- Date & Time: Tuesday, February 3rd, at 7:00 pm (8:00 pm ET)
- Venue: Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI
- How to Watch: Chicago Sports Network, FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin and NBA League Pass
Early Season Performance & Trends
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls looked like a possible playoff contender earlier in the year, but a rash of injuries have them below .500. They are presently in the NBA Play-In Tournament, but are at risk of fully falling out of contention.
Not having Josh Giddey on hand for a portion of the year has hurt them, while they are among the many teams being talked about in trade rumors. Still, the Bulls are 24-26 and have done a good job defending the United Center (15-11), and run a fun, fast-paced offense.
Chicago has struggled on the road (9-15) and aren’t in top form, as they’ve gone just 5-5 over their last 10 games. Even so, they will be favored to take down the Bucks on the road on Tuesday night.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks got off to a decent 8-5 start this year, but started falling apart once they got banged up. Kevin Porter Jr. and Giannis Antetokounmpo have both missed a ton of time due to injury, and that’s led to serious struggles for the Bucks.
Due to Milwaukee’s health woes and constant losing, the Giannis Antetokounmpo rumor mill has heated up to the point of no return. Milwaukee now stands in at a paltry 18-29 and has no real shot at the NBA playoffs.
To make matters worse, The Greek Freak is slated to miss the next month with a calf injury, and it’s looking more and more likely that he could get traded before I finish writing this sentence.
Perhaps he’ll last longer than that, but he won’t play against Chicago, and there’s a good chance he’s in a new city by the end of the week. Naturally, with or without Giannis, the Bucks are not a formidable team at the moment and could continue to pile up losses as they approach the NBA All-Star Break.
Head‑to‑Head / Historical Context
There is a lot of history between the Bulls and Bucks, as they both operate out of the Central Division. They’ve faced each other 273 times throughout history, with the series dead even at 137-136.
Chicago has just one more win than Milwaukee in the series, and it’s been a back-and-forth battle. The Bucks are on top of the series at the moment, as they won the first two meetings this season and are 4-2 over the last six games.
The Bulls did split the season series (2-2) last year, however. Most of the recent games have been close, with the two combining for a wild 133-122 shootout in their first meeting last season.
Key Matchup Breakdown
Josh Giddey leads a fast-paced offense that ranks 10th in scoring and really pushes the pace. That leads to a lot of scoring in transition (6th) and this team will attack inside at will (5th most points in the paint).
Giddey will not be available for this game, but the Bulls still have solid guard depth to help keep their system rolling. They also have a plethora of shooters who can launch from deep, as they rank 9th in threes attempted, 6th in makes, and 8th in three-point percentage.
Nikola Vucevici continues to be a double-double threat, giving the Bulls a solid source down low that can clean the glass and also stretch outside and make defenses pay from deep.
Chicago does not do a good job getting to the free-throw line, but they are otherwise a very good offensive team that shares the ball, plays fast, and can hurt you from anywhere on the court.
Milwaukee has no real identity these days, as they’re quite accustomed to running their offense through Giannis, who was putting up MVP numbers (27.9 ppg, 5.6 apg), but that won’t be the case in this matchup.
Without Giannis, the Bucks are a team of isolation scorers and jump shooters, and they are fairly perimeter-based. Center Myles Turner has come alive in recent games, and he figures to have a very positive matchup in front of him on Tuesday night.
Ryan Rollins has been unearthed as a solid building block for the Bucks (16.5 ppg), while Bobby Portis and Kyle Kuzma have contributed scoring on the outside. Collectively, this is an unreliable offense (27th in scoring), but one that is very good at shooting the three (2nd).
Milwaukee’s elite efficiency is fading now that Giannis is off the floor, but they share the ball decently enough and have a fairly balanced attack. Despite not having reliable continuity, the Bucks are at home and have a soft matchup they could take advantage of.
Giddey is questionable to play, but the Bulls should continue to push the pace with or without him. Ideally, he’s on hand to run their offense, but the 6th fastest offense in basketball is still going to be a handful for Milwaukee.
The Bulls are not strong defensively, as they rank 26th in scoring defense and do not defend the paint well at all (27th). They also don’t get out on the three-point line (24th) well enough, so across the board, this is not a unit to fear.
The Bucks aren’t much better, as they rank 22nd in defensive efficiency. Milwaukee has been strong inside, but they have not done a good job defending the long ball, and they allow too many free trips to the free-throw line.
Milwaukee plays a slower brand of basketball (22nd in pace), but they may look to adapt with Giannis potentially not returning this year. They are equipped to run with the Bulls, setting up an interesting matchup.
- Bucks perimeter offense vs. Bulls perimeter defense: Milwaukee doesn’t have their top player, but they have a lot of guys who can shoot from deep. Chicago’s perimeter defense isn’t great, so the Bucks could get hot in this matchup from long range.
- Bulls transition offense vs. Bucks transition defense: Chicago’s fastbreak offense and pace may suffer with Giddey not available, but they should still get out and run. Not only are they good at it, but the Bucks are also terrible on the break defensively, so the Bulls should get a lot of easy buckets in this spot.
- Bucks interior offense vs. Bulls interior defense: One key advantage the Bucks could have is down low. Myles Turner should look to exploit a positive matchup, as Nikola Vucevic and the Bulls are not imposing in the paint defensively.
The Bulls are just 9-15 on the road this year, and they are just 11-13 ATS in road games. Chicago is 25-25 against the spread overall on the season, and they are 4-7 ATS inside the Central Division.
Milwaukee has been far worse against the spread. They are just 9-12 overall on their home floor, but they are 7-14 ATS at home and 12-14 ATS as the underdog.
Betting Odds & Market Interpretation
Check out the latest Bulls vs. Bucks betting odds at FanDuel:
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
Bulls | -2.5 (-110) | -142 | Over 223.5 (-110) |
Bucks | +2.5 (-110) | +120 | Under 223.5 (-110) |
The Bulls vs. Bucks odds opened at 2.5 with a 227.5 total, but dipped to what you see above once it was made official that Giddey would not be playing.
The spread is fair, as Milwaukee is missing an MVP-level talent, as well as another key starter. Chicago is down their top point guard, but as the healthier team, they make sense as a mild favorite, even on the road.
The game total is fairly modest, which combines Chicago’s pace of play and Milwaukee’s injury issues.
From a Bettor’s Lens
The spread feels like a trap. The Bucks are at home and could keep this close, but they also are missing two important pieces and have not looked great lately. Chicago’s -155 moneyline really stands out here due to those factors.
The game total also feels low. Chicago will push the pace even without Giddey, and neither of these teams is strong defensively. They both can light it up from long range, so the Over stands out as an obvious bet.
Situational Considerations
The Bucks are without Giannis, and Kevin Porter Jr. Milwaukee doesn’t have much incentive to win these days, but even if they wanted to, their record without Antetokounmpo has been a brutal 3-14.
Chicago will also be down key starter Josh Giddey. However, by comparison, they look to be the healthier team and in a better position to produce a more reliable product on the court.
Both of these teams are well rested, having not played since February 1st.
Best Bets & Confidence Levels
| Bet | Rationale | Confidence Level |
|---|---|---|
Over 223.5 (-110) | The Bulls play fast, and both of these defenses stink. Both teams can light it up from long range, too. | 8/10 |
Bulls ML (-142) | Chicago is the healthier, better, and more motivated team right now. Milwaukee has really struggled to win without Giannis on the floor. | 8/10 |
Prop Play – Bobby Portis Over 2+ Made Threes (-164) | Portis has played well with Giannis off the floor. He is shooting 45% from deep and has connected on two or more threes in 7 of his last 9 games. The matchup and pace of this game make him an extremely good bet to hit at least two long balls. | 7/10 |
Odd lines are changing for Bulls vs. Bucks as bettors react to Giannis’ absence and Chicago’s pace advantage. Track line movement and compare our top sports betting sites.
Final Score Prediction & Closing Thoughts
Final Score Prediction: Chicago Bulls 117, Milwaukee Bucks 112
If you’re looking for a Bulls vs. Bucks prediction, the big one is that this game should hit the Over. This over/under feels a bit low considering Chicago’s fast pace and neither team being excited to play much defense.
The Bulls get destroyed on the inside and can give it up from long range, so this is the rare spot where you should feel reasonably good about the Bucks on offense. Milwaukee isn’t any better outside on defense, though, and they are terrible at defending the break.
This all sets up nicely for the Over, but it also looks good for the Bulls in general. I still think we can target Bobby Portis to hit two three-pointers, but Chicago should be too fast and too efficient for Milwaukee to keep up in the end.
