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The Milwaukee Bucks and Charlotte Hornets will go head-to-head in an Eastern Conference showdown on Tuesday night. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Bucks-Hornets prediction and pick.
Milwaukee is 5-5 in their last 10 games and will look to turn the corner and build momentum heading into the postseason. Charlotte has continued to stick around despite all of the key injuries they have suffered this season. Which playoff team will improve their standing in this affair?
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the opening Bucks-Hornets odds.
NBA Odds: Bucks-Hornets Odds
Milwaukee Bucks -9 (-115)
Over 222 Points (-110)
Under 222 Points (-110)
Why The Bucks Could Cover The Spread
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The Milwaukee Bucks have split their last 12 games and have looked like a mediocre team, which they are not. The Bucks are definitely better than their impressive 37-23 record depicts. Milwaukee is lethal on the offensive end, averaging 119.3 points per game on 48.5% shooting from the floor. The long-range shooting has been the bread-and-butter for this club as they hit nearly 40% of their threes. With Giannis, Kris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday, this team has a plethora of scoring options that can individually take over games.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is playing MVP-caliber basketball and probably isn't in the conversation because people have just gotten used to his excellence. Kris Middleton remains one of the top sidekicks in the league, shooting 48/43/89 on the season. The Bucks are way too talented to be playing mediocre basketball and will turn their level of intensity up down the stretch. Milwaukee plays above-average defense and has the depth to compete with anyone in the league. Although they have struggled against the Hornets in the past, they are a much better team playing a depleted bunch.
Why The Hornets Could Cover The Spread
The Charlotte Hornets currently sport an even 30-30 record, but they have taken a huge turn for the worse recently. They have lost six of their last nine games and are rapidly slipping down the Eastern Conference standings with right around two weeks to play. This team doesn't excel at anything on the court, but they're good at doing the little things well. They play clean basketball on both ends of the floor, limiting turnovers and fouls committed on a regular basis. The Bucks play a similar style of basketball, which may negate this advantage that Charlotte typically has.
Defense has been the ultimate struggle for this team lately as they give up the most three-point attempts in the league. They rank near the bottom of the league in field goal percentage against and defensive rebounding as well. The Hornets do typically rebound well on the offensive end and find ways to create second-chance buckets from deep, though. Charlotte will lean on two things in this game. Home court advantage has treated this team well with a record of 16-11-1 ATS at home. The Hornets have also gone 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games against the Bucks coming in.
Final Bucks-Hornets Prediction & Pick
There is a huge disparity in this matchup and although the Hornets seem to get by, they have a large task on their hands tonight. When the Bucks defeat mediocre teams like the Hornets, they typically do it in convincing fashion. When Charlotte loses games this year, they lose big. A total of 22 of the Hornets' 30 losses this season have come by at least nine points. Milwaukee has lost the first two games of the season series with Charlotte and certainly won't let that happen for the third time. The Hornets are depleted and the Bucks are healthy. That'll be the ultimate difference.
FINAL PICK: Milwaukee Bucks -9 (-115)
