The Milwaukee Bucks hit the road to take on the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center on Monday night. It’s time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Bucks-Spurs prediction and pick.
Milwaukee has won five-straight games and now sits just a half-game behind the Brooklyn Nets for the second spot in the Eastern Conference standings with five games to play. San Antonio is imploding down the stretch, losing six of its last seven games coming in. With the Spurs' playoff hopes on thin ice, will they be able to make this a ballgame as they try to hold off the New Orleans Pelicans with a handful of games left?
Here’s how sportsbooks have set the Bucks-Spurs odds.
NBA Odds: Bucks-Spurs Odds
Milwaukee Bucks -6.5 (-110)
San Antonio Spurs +6.5 (-110)
Over 233.5 Points (-110)
Under 233.5 Points (-110)
Why The Bucks Could Cover The Spread
The Bucks' current winning streak is now at five games after their most recent win against the Houston Rockets. Milwaukee has clinched the Central Division title yet again, for whatever that's worth these days. The Bucks are now within striking distance of both the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers with a few games left to play this season. This matchup seems favorable for Milwaukee as these two teams are currently heading in complete opposite directions coming in.
The Bucks played very well as a group in their rematch against the Rockets following their debacle just a few weeks ago. Brook Lopez was especially impressive in the win with 24 points, seven boards, and two blocks. Milwaukee is currently the best team in the league in scoring offense, averaging a whopping 119.9 points per game. They're also the best rebounding team in the NBA as well. The trio of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday have all been phenomenal this season, each averaging at least 17.7 points per game on the year. The Bucks chuck up 3-pointers in bunches and will certainly control the tempo throughout.
Why The Spurs Could Cover The Spread
The Spurs are going through a dreadful stretch of games at the worst possible time of the season. San Antonio has lost six of its last seven games and now lead the Pelicans by just 1.5 games for the last play-in spot with just five games to play. Life doesn't get any easier as the Spurs are hosting one of the best teams in all of basketball in this game. It also doesn't help that San Antonio is coming off a horrible performance against Portland in its last game, shooting just 39.8% from the floor in a 22-point loss. Shooting 8-of-30 from 3 will not work well against the explosive Milwaukee Bucks, either.
The Spurs have actually been a fairly consistent team on the defensive end this season. They allow 112.0 points per game, which is good for 16th in the league. The offensive struggles have been very alarming as this team just can't hit shots. It's unfortunate because the Spurs share the ball well, averaging 24.4 assists per contest. In a 3-point-driven league, San Antonio's 10.1 made triples per game (29th in the NBA) just won't cut it. DeMar DeRozan is averaging 21.4 points per game, which is solid on its own but not enough. Truthfully speaking, the Spurs will have to absolutely smother the Bucks on the defensive end in this matchup.
Final Bucks-Spurs Prediction & Pick
The Spurs are on a quick descent and will likely get bounced in the play-in tournament if they're lucky enough to make it there. Their lack of consistent scoring and depth make it virtually impossible for this team to win games on a consistent basis. The Bucks are rolling right now and counter this Spurs group better than anyone. Milwaukee also still has all of the motivation in the world to go all-out in this game. With the Bucks having the weekend off and the Spurs playing their third game in four nights, Milwaukee has the edge in all facets of this matchup.
FINAL PICK: Milwaukee Bucks -6.5 (-110)
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