We continue our NBA odds and pick series with the marquee matchup of Saturday's slate of games. The leaders of their respective conferences will face off for the second time this season to see who has the upper-hand as the best team in the NBA. The Milwaukee Bucks (53-20) will travel to take on the Denver Nuggets (49-24). Don't miss this star-studded affair! Check out our NBA odds series for our Bucks-Nuggets prediction and pick.
The Milwaukee Bucks are in first place in the East and are riding a three-game winning streak coming into this one. They were the first team to 50 wins on the season and look like the most complete contenders to hoist the trophy in June. They'll be determined to prove their dominance as the best team in the NBA and take down the leaders in the West to lead the season series 2-0.
The Denver Nuggets are in first place in the West and have a solid three-game lead over the second-place Grizzlies. After losing four consecutive games, the Nuggets have managed to go 3-1 in their most recent stretch and will return home after back-to-back roads wins at Brooklyn and Washington. A win against the Bucks would tie the season series and give the Nuggets a huge confidence boost as they try to close the season strong.
Here are the Bucks-Nuggets NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Bucks-Nuggets Odds
Milwaukee Bucks: +3 (-108)
Denver Nuggets: -3 (-112)
Over: 236.5 (-110)
Under: 236.5 (-110)
How To Watch Bucks vs. Nuggets
TV: Bally Sports Wisconsin, Altitude Sports
Stream: fuboTV, 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
The Milwaukee Bucks are once again feeling themselves on a three-game win streak and will look to make it four-in-a-row tonight. In their last game against the Jazz, it was Grayson Allen who rose to the occasion with a season-high 25 points. The Bucks controlled the game from the defensive end throughout and saw their star Giannis Antetokounmpo tally 11 assists while the Bucks score 144 points. They're in another great rhythm and look like a terrifying team when Giannis is recording double-doubles with assists.
Milwaukee is a very good road team at 19-13 ATS on the season. They're 17-3 in their last 20 games and have gone 4-1 ATS in their last five. All signs point to another good performance from the Bucks in this one. They'll have some mismatches with their size and will be the better team defensively. If they can stifle the Nuggets on the offensive end while containing the passing of Nikola Jokic, they should cover the spread as underdogs.
Why The Nuggets Could Cover The Spread
The Nuggets saw a huge game from Michael Porter Jr. in their recent win against the Nets, so it's promising to see him coming along as the prospect they thought he'd be when healthy. Averaging 17.3 points on 49% shooting, Porter Jr. does a ton for the Nuggets in terms of spreading the floor. He could do a great job in drawing attention away from Jokic and scoring on his open threes in this game. They started slow and had 10 turnovers in their last game against the Wizards, but were able to rally late and fend them off for a win.
The Nuggets will be happy to be back at home where they have a 30-6 record. In those games, they've gone 22-13 ATS. They're also 41-15 when listed as the favorites, a spot they'll be in tonight by the smallest of margins. If the Nuggets can continue to see a balanced scoring attack, they'll have a chance to outlast the surging Bucks. They'll hope for some action from Aaron Gordon as he works down low against the Milwaukee bigs.
Final Bucks-Nuggets Prediction & Pick
The Nuggets play tremendous, winning basketball when they play at home. However, the Bucks have seen a lot of success on the road and will be playing with a ton of momentum. This should be an exciting game throughout with a lot of lead changes and shifts in momentum. Don't be surprised if this one goes to overtime, where the Nuggets will have the big advantage behind their home crowd. Still, we'll take the Milwaukee Bucks to cover as underdogs and continue their dominance on the road.
Final Bucks-Nuggets Prediction & Pick: Milwaukee Bucks +3 (-108)