Two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference face off on Friday night in NBA Cup Group Play, as Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks host the 6-1 Chicago Bulls.

Chicago knocked off the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night to take sole possession of the top spot in the Eastern Conference, and it’s looking like Josh Giddey and company will be in the mix for a playoff spot this season.

The Bulls are eighth in offensive rating, 11th in defensive rating and sixth in net rating, going 6-1 against the spread in their seven games.

Now, they’re set as road underdogs against a Bucks team that was blown out on the second night of a back-to-back Tuesday against the Toronto Raptors, falling to 5-3 in the 2025-26 season.

Can Milwaukee bounce back with a win at home?

Let’s dive into the odds, players to watch in the prop market and my prediction for this NBA Cup matchup. 

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

Moneyline

Total

Bulls Injury ReportBucks Injury Report

Note: These player prop predictions were made before odds were released and are based on past player performance. 

Bucks Best NBA Prop Bet

It’s been a rough start to the season for new Bucks center Myles Turner, as he’s averaging just 9.8 points per game while shooting 40.0 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from 3.

Turner was always going to need some time to adjust to playing alongside Giannis, but he’s scored 13 or fewer points in seven of his eight games, with his best game (17 points against Golden State) coming with Giannis out of the lineup.

I have a hard time backing Turner in any scoring prop, even against a Chicago defense that is allowing over 24 points per game to the center position this season. Turner is taking just 8.8 shots per game and has five games with fewer than 10 shot attempts so far this season. 

Both the Bucks and Bulls have done a solid job against the spread, as Milwaukee is 5-3 against the number this season.

However, the Bucks have failed to cover in back-to-back games, beating the Indiana Pacers team without several rotation players on a buzzer beater by Giannis before losing by 28 in Toronto.

The Bucks are just 16th in the NBA in net rating and while they deserved to be favored at home, I’m not sold on them running away with this game against Chicago. The Bulls’ only loss came on the road against the New York Knicks, who are undefeated at home so far (5-0) this season.

Other than that, Chicago has won and covered in every other game this season. 

I wouldn’t be shocked to see Chicago hang around, especially since it has shot the 3-ball so well (third in 3-point percentage) to open this season. Milwaukee relies so heavily on Giannis that it is a bit of a shaky bet to cover some of these spreads, going just 1-2 against the number as a favorite this season. 

Pick: Bulls +4.5 (-110 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey’s NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

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