The NBA regular season continues with games on Wednesday. The Toronto Raptors will hit the road and face off against the Milwaukee Bucks in an Eastern Conference battle! It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Raptors-Bucks prediction and pick based on Raptors Bucks NBA odds.
These two teams have had somewhat different starts to the season. The Toronto Raptors have a record of 17-17 and are actually coming off three straight wins. While the Milwaukee Bucks are 25-14 but just had their six-game win streak stifled. This should be a good game between two great Eastern Conference teams.
Here are the odds for the Raptors-Bucks Wednesday night NBA matchup, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Raptors-Bucks Odds
Toronto Raptors: +8 (-110)
Milwaukee Bucks: -8 (-110)
Over: 225.5 (-112)
Under: 225.5 (-108)
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
Why The Raptors Could Cover The Spread
The Toronto Raptors have had a very interesting season. They have been battling through injuries and COVID and have been able to remain competitive. Through their first 34 games, they are dead even with a record of 17-17. They have managed to win their last three games, with their most recent victory coming against San Antonio by 25. Toronto will look to carry that same energy and momentum into a tough matchup against the Bucks. The Raptors will try to extend their win streak to four with only the defending NBA Champions standing in their way.
Toronto had the edge over San Antonio across most metrics. Most notable, however, was the difference in threes. The Spurs took 35 three pointers and only made 9. While the Raptors took 44 and made 18. This difference in shots beyond the arc is a big reason that the Raptors were able to defeat the Spurs. There is nearly no NBA team that can keep pace with an opponent that makes double the amount of three-pointers than they do. If Toronto can mimic this performance on Wednesday then they may be able to dethrone the champions.
Article Continues BelowFor quite possibly the first time all season the Raptors have all of their starters healthy. This is a huge momentum shifter for Toronto and it has been on full display in their last few games. Toronto is not the same team they were at the beginning of the season. Now that they are healthy, the Raptors are ready for battle. Toronto is coming into this game against Milwaukee with lots of momentum and energy. Expect this team to come out with a chip on their shoulder ready to continue making up for their rocky start.
Why The Bucks Could Cover The Spread
The Milwaukee Bucks have been a good team this year. Just like every team, they have had to face their fair share of adversity, but they have managed to remain a top team in the league. Through their first 39 games, they have won 25 games and lost only 14. They have actually won 6 of their last 7 games, with their one loss coming in their last game against the Pistons. That loss was out of character for the reigning NBA champions. Milwaukee will look to bounce back against a tough Toronto team.
The Bucks definitely should have been able to beat the Pistons, but they just came up short. Maybe they just underestimated Detroit, but they did not look like the Bucks that won the championship last year. The Pistons had the edge across nearly every statistic. Most notably, Detroit dished out 10 more assists than the Bucks. Besides that, Milwaukee just came up short. The Bucks will look to regain momentum on Wednesday as they face injuries and COVID.
Milwaukee has recently been struck with COVID. The Bucks have five players in the league’s health and safety protocols. Three of those players are questionable, and two of those players are out for Wednesday’s game. Both Pat Connaughton and Grayson Allen are out for this match. That is a big loss for Milwaukee as both Connaughton and Allen are key contributors. Hopefully, some of the questionable players get upgraded to active and can help this Bucks team recover from their injuries. Regardless, Milwaukee should be able to at least be competitive against the Raptors.
Final Raptors-Bucks Prediction & Pick
The spread for this game is kind of confusing. The Raptors have been on a tear lately. Now that Toronto has all of their starters available they have looked like a top team in the Eastern Conference. On the flip side, Milwaukee just lost to one of the worst teams in the East. While that game may have been a fluke, it still shows a certain vulnerability from the Bucks. Given the spread, the Raptors are the clear choice. This should be a close game and it's very possible that Toronto will end up on top. Pick the Raptors to cover.
FINAL RAPTORS-BUCKS PICK: Toronto Raptors +8 (-110)
FINAL RAPTORS-BUCKS SCORE PREDICTION: Raptors 125 – Bucks 117