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The Milwaukee Bucks will pay a visit to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes our Bucks-Cavaliers prediction, odds, and pick we have laid out below.
Milwaukee has won its last three games, the latest being a 131-101 beatdown of the Detroit Pistons. Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 30 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists, while Brook Lopez added 17 points and three 3-pointers.
Meanwhile, Cleveland lost a crucial game to the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, 118-107. The defeat dropped them to 8th in the Eastern Conference and also lost the Cavs the season series with the Nets. Both teams have identical 43-38 records. Darius Garland gave a valiant effort versus Brooklyn with 31 points, while Evan Mobley made his return from a five-game absence and tallied 17 points and seven rebounds.
Here is how FanDuel has set the Bucks-Cavaliers NBA odds for this Sunday's NBA matchup.
NBA odds: Bucks–Cavaliers Odds
Milwaukee Bucks: +8 (-114)
Cleveland Cavaliers: -8 (-106)
Over: 224 (-110)
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Under: 224 (-110)
Why the Bucks could cover the spread
At first, it might be shocking to see the Bucks are the underdogs for their season-finale against Cleveland. But looking at their injury report, you'll see that pretty much all of their big guns could be out on Sunday. Milwaukee has listed Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee), Khris Middleton (wrist), Brook Lopez (back), and Bobby Portis (shoulder) as doubtful on its injury report. In addition, George Hill (abdomen) and Grayson Allen (hip) are both out. It's likely the Bucks are just giving their main guys additional rest ahead of the playoffs or are just being extra cautious, as they certainly wouldn't want to enter the postseason with any unwanted injuries.
Nonetheless, Jrue Holiday seems to be playing and Milwaukee has yet to lock up its seeding in the playoffs. A win would secure them the 2nd seed in the East, while a loss would drop them to 3rd. There's no knowing what the Bucks' plans are in terms of where they want to finish up in the standings. Getting the no. 2 seed could potentially give them a first-round series with the Brooklyn Nets, while the 3rd seed would pit them versus the Chicago Bulls. Milwaukee is 39-42 against the spread this season.
Why the Cavaliers could cover the spread
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers have every incentive to win this game as it would assure them at least the 8th seed in the East, giving them two chances to advance to the postseason. However, if they want to get the 7th seed and homecourt advantage in the play-in game, they won't have full control as they will need a Nets loss for that to happen.
Cleveland still won't have Jarrett Allen, who is still out due to a finger fracture. Collin Sexton and Dean Wade are both done for the season with their respective knee injuries. But the Bucks likely won't have Antetokounmpo, Lopez, Middleton, and Portis available, so that gives the Cavs a chance to cover the 8-point spread. Cleveland is 40-36 on the spread this season.
Final Bucks–Cavaliers Prediction & Pick
The Cavaliers should be the pick here. It's arguable that a lot more is at stake for Cleveland. Meanwhile, Milwaukee probably wants to drop to third so they could avoid Brooklyn in round one. If anything, that injury report could indicate that may be their intentions for their season finale.
Final Bucks–Cavaliers Prediction & Pick: Cavaliers: -8 (-106)
