Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently sidelined with a calf injury, but he could potentially make his return for this matchup. It is hard to emphasize how much impact the Greek Freak has on this team, as he truly transforms them from a lottery team into a legitimate NBA contender with his presence.
The Bulls will hope Antetokounmpo is either traded or still sidelined by the time this matchup rolls around. Chicago has been a streaky team this season, and they are in the midst of a hot streak right now. They went 5-0 to start the year, then went 5-15 in their next 20 games, before ripping off three convincing wins since then.
Can the Bulls defend their home court to lift themselves into a playoff spot, or will the Bucks show Antetokounmpo that they can compete, and he should stay in Milwaukee?
Let’s jump into the expert NBA predictions to find out.
Matchup: Bucks vs Bulls Overview
- Teams: Milwaukee Bucks at Chicago Bulls
- Date: Saturday, December 27th, 2025
- Time: Tip-off is at 8:00 PM EST
- Venue: United Center in Chicago, Illinois
Win Probabilities:
NBA win probabilities are crucial information to consider before making picks and predictions.
For this matchup, the red-hot Chicago Bulls have a 67.39% chance of defending their home court. Alternatively, the Milwaukee Bucks are free-falling down the Eastern Conference standings, but still have a 32.61% chance to pull off this upset, according to the NBA win probabilities.
Projected Final Score:
The projected final score can be calculated using expert NBA predictions, insights from recent games, and up-to-date injury reports for both teams.
This is expected to be a close matchup between two potential play-in tournament teams, with a projected final score of Chicago Bulls 129-123 Milwaukee Bucks.
Bucks vs Bulls Odds
The Chicago Bulls are home favorites over the Milwaukee Bucks, as they are the healthier, hotter team heading into this matchup.
Chicago still has problems on the defensive end, but their explosive offense allows them to have a chance of winning against anyone in the league. Milwaukee is far from a defensively sound team themselves, making it unsurprising to see a high total on the NBA odds.
Expert Prediction: Who Wins?
Why the Milwaukee Bucks Could Win
The Milwaukee Bucks are two different teams depending on whether or not Antetokounmpo will be able to suit up.
Antetokounmpo is one of the best defenders in the league; he is unstoppable on offense, and his presence alone makes everyone around him better. The Bucks don’t have many other players capable of taking over games, meaning opposing defenses can dial in when Antetokounmpo is on the bench.
One player who has stepped up amid Milwaukee’s lack of talent is Ryan Rollins. Rollins is having far and away the best year of his career, scoring 17 PPG with 5.9 assists per night. His ability to run this offense with Antetokounmpo out of the picture has kept the Bucks relevant, and he will slot alongside the Bucks’ stars nicely once they return from injury.
If the Bucks hope to win this game, they will need to do so on the defensive end. Chicago loves to play up-tempo basketball, as their transition offense is among the best in the league. The Bucks have the size to slow them down, but if they get lazy after the Christmas break, Chicago will punish them immediately.
In short, if Milwaukee can win their battles on defense, they could pull off the upset despite the unfriendly basketball odds.
Why the Chicago Bulls Could Win
The Chicago Bulls have been competent at home this season, as their loud crowd really influences the outcome of close games.
The Bulls have pulled off miraculous late comebacks this season, and it all starts with a home crowd that can get behind them. One thing that will play into their favor is that if Antetokounmpo can suit up, the crowd will have that little bit of extra juice with a superstar in town. The positives of Antetokounmpo suiting up end there.
Slowing down Antetokounmpo will be the Bulls’ primary concern on the defensive end. Milwaukee has yet to prove they can beat teams without a big night from Antetokounmpo, which means the Bulls will be desperate to slow him down. They have had one of the worst defensive ratings this season, regardless of the venue, so even limited minutes from Antetokounmpo would be detrimental to their success.
Chicago is catching fire right now, and it is due to their offensive depth. In their matchup against the Hawks earlier this week, Chicago erupted for 152 points with nine different players posting a double-digit point total. Their fast pace forces them to run with a deep bench, and that kind of scoring depth isn’t something the NBA is used to seeing regularly.
The attention will be on Josh Giddey and Coby White, but if bench players like Ayo Dosunmu and Kevin Huerter can have a big night on offense, this will be the Bulls’ game to lose.
- ALSO CHECK OUT: Suns vs Lakers Prediction
How to Make Milwaukee Bucks vs Chicago Bulls Picks
The best place to make Milwaukee Bucks vs Chicago Bulls picks is on Sportzino.
The free social sportsbook has the best NBA odds for every game this season, including several boosts for your Bucks vs Bulls predictions. This includes spreads, totals, moneylines, and player props.
Of course, there is no guarantee the NBA odds won’t shift before tip-off, so make sure you lock in your NBA predictions as soon as possible.
