The Milwaukee Bucks (52-20) visit the Utah Jazz (35-37) on Friday night! Action tips off at 9:10 p.m. ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Bucks-Jazz prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Milwaukee has won two straight and sits firmly atop the Eastern Conference. The Bucks covered 60% of their games while 51% went under the projected point total. Utah has won two of their last three but remains in 12th place in the Western Conference. The Jazz covered 57% of their games while 59% went over. This will be the second and final meeting between the cross-conference foes. Milwaukee won the first back in December, 123-97.
Here are the Bucks-Jazz NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Bucks-Jazz Odds
Milwaukee Bucks: -9.5 (-108)
Utah Jazz: +9.5 (-112)
Over: 236.5 (-108)
Under: 236.5 (-112)
How To Watch Bucks vs. Jazz
TV: Bally Wisconsin, ATTSN Rocky Mountain
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Bucks Could Cover The Spread
Milwaukee has cemented itself as the top team in the league after a solid but not spectacular start to the season. The Bucks have been on fire since the All-Star break, leading the league with an 11-3 record since the break. They've been unstoppable offensively over that span, averaging 123.1 PPG. Milwaukee's defense has been nearly as dominant as they've given up just 114.1 PPG over that span. Additionally, the Bucks blew the Jazz out of the water in their first matchup back in December thanks largely to an incredible 54-29 rebounding margin. They did that without star Giannis Antetokounmpo. With Giannis back tonight, the Bucks have a great chance to cover tonight despite being heavy road favorites.
Although the Bucks already beat the Jazz by 26 points back in December, they could easily increase that margin with Giannis back in the fold. The Greek Freak has been incredible all season long as he is the only player with top-five odds for both the MVP and the Defensive Player of the Year awards. He's been locked in since the All-Star break, averaging 28.5 PPG on 59% shooting. Additionally, Giannis has been a force on the glass with 10.6 RPG. He's quietly developed into a strong playmaker as well, dishing out 6.0 APG over that span. Considering the Jazz rank in the bottom 10 in defense, Giannis should have a monster night ahead.
The X-factor for the Bucks tonight is point guard Jrue Holiday. The Bucks will notably be without forward Kris Middleton tonight and therefore Holiday will likely see an uptick in usage. Holiday finds himself in the midst of one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 19 PPG and 7.3 APG. He was stellar in their earlier win over Utah, scoring 21 points and dishing out eight assists. While Holiday has struggled in recent games, a date with the Jazz's suspect perimeter defense could be just the remedy for his recent shooting woes.
Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
Utah has continued to defy the naysayers as they still find themselves just 0.5 games off the Western Conference's play-in game. The Jazz feature an electric offense that ranks sixth with 117.4 PPG. They do an excellent job moving the ball and finding open shooters, ranking ninth with 25.8 APG. Those extra passes lead to a ton of open threes for the Jazz. Consequently, Utah ranks fifth in threes per game. While their defense can be suspect, Utah does an excellent job protecting the rim thanks to their 5.3 blocks per game – the fifth-highest mark in the league. Additionally, they should able to keep up with Milwaukee on the glass considering they hold the fifth-highest rebound rate in the league.
If Utah is going to cover tonight as heavy home underdogs, they're going to need another stellar night from Lauri Markkanen. Markkanen finds himself in the midst of a breakout year and has been even better since the All-Star break. Over his last 10 games, Lauri has averaged 30.1 PPG and 8.8 RPG. He's been highly efficient over that span, shooting 48% from the floor and 35% from deep. Coming off a monster 40-point outing against the Blazers, look for Lauri to continue to see a massive usage rate tonight.
The X-factor for Utah tonight is big man Walker Kessler. Kessler has proven to be among the best rookie in the league as the season has gone on thanks to his rebounding and shot-blocking. Kessler played just 14 minutes in their earlier loss to Milwaukee but has since joined Utah's starting lineup. He's been stellar since the All-Star break, averaging 10.9 PPG, 11.6 RPG, and 3.7 blocks per game. The seven-footer should give them a huge boost and offers them the size they were lacking during their first meeting.
Final Bucks-Jazz Prediction & Pick
With Milwaukee missing Middleton, I like the Jazz to keep things a lot closer than the first time these teams met thanks to the ascension of Walker Kessler.
Final Bucks-Jazz Prediction & Pick: Utah Jazz +9.5 (-112)
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