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Two of the top teams in the NBA face off Friday night! It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Bucks-Nets prediction and pick.
Many consider this to be the top two teams in the Eastern Conference. The defending champs Milwaukee Bucks will hit the road and take on the Brooklyn Nets (who will not have Kyrie Irving). Irving made his season debut last time out in the win over the Indiana Pacers. He was the talk of the game but Kevin Durant dropped 39 points to spoil all the Irving fun. The Nets are just one game ahead of the Bucks in the standings and these two teams will likely face off in the playoffs this year. The Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo matchup will be very exciting to watch if Antetokounmpo does indeed play.
Here are the Bucks-Nets NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Bucks-Nets Odds
Milwaukee Bucks: +5 (-110)
Brooklyn Nets: -5 (-110)
Over: 232 (-110)
Under: 232 (-110)
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Why The Bucks Could Cover The Spread
Milwaukee is capable of covering this spread. It's not often you see this team given five points on the road. The Bucks are coming off a loss to the Toronto Raptors last time out where the Greek Freak didn't suit up. He missed the game with an illness and it's unclear if he will play against the Nets. If he does play, then clearly the Bucks will be in a better position to cover this spread. If he doesn't, then I expect the Nets to control most of this game even without Irving.
The Bucks are currently third in the East and are 17-11 against the Eastern opponents. A healthy Antetokounmpo is a game-changer. The last time these two teams met, Giannis scored 32 to help the Bucks dominant the Nets 127-104. With him in the lineup, we will see a better team and a matchup against the Nets is what everyone wants to witness. Antetokounmpo is third in the NBA in scoring at 27.9 per game right behind Durants' 28.7 a game. Milwaukee is 18-22 against the spread.
Why The Nets Could Cover The Spread
The Brooklyn Nets are oddly 14-21-1 against the spread this year. They are winning games and so that isn't a problem. They are just not winning by the margin they should be. At the end of the day, that doesn't matter to the Nets but to bettors, it does. Spreads are like trends, they tell a lot of the story. If the Nets continue to win games but their record against the spread is bad, then continue to bet against them. That is a sign that they are staying consistent and it could make it easier for bettors in the long run.
For Friday night, the availability of Antetokounmpo is one that will make all the difference in this game. If he doesn't play, then I expect the Nets to cover this spread. If he does, then this will be n exciting matchup to watch. These two teams are among the best in the league and so we won't be seeing anything out of the ordinary. It's going to be a back-and-forth game from start to finish.
Final Bucks-Nets Prediction & Pick
I'm going to make this decision with the intent that Antetokounmpo is playing. He made the trip to Brooklyn and that is a good enough sign for me. I'm picking the Bucks to cover this spread because of their last meeting. This game could go either way, however.
Final Bucks-Nets Prediction & Pick: Bucks +5 (-110)
