The Cleveland Cavaliers will travel to take on the Milwaukee Bucks in a Wednesday night NBA matchup at the Fiserv Forum. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes a Cavaliers-Bucks prediction and pick, laid out below.
Cleveland has gone 8-5 to open their season, fourth place in the Eastern Conference. JB Bickerstaff is in his fourth season, third full season, as the head coach of Cleveland. In those previous seasons, Bickerstaff has been unable to navigate his team to the playoffs.
Milwaukee is arguably the best team in the league, opening their season at 10-3, second place in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee has now lost three of their last four games after beginning the season on a nine-game winning streak.
Here are the Cavaliers-Bucks NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Cavaliers-Bucks Odds
Cleveland Cavaliers: +4 (-108)
Milwaukee Bucks: -4 (-112)
Over: 217.5 (-110)
Under: 217.5 (-110)
Why The Cavaliers Could Cover The Spread
Donovan Mitchell can help alter the trajectory of the franchise, which would explain the massive haul surrendered to acquire the superstar this offseason. All Mitchell has done in his first season with Cleveland is lead the team with 31.6 points per game on 51.3 percent shooting. Mitchell has also averaged 6.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. Mitchell is considered day-to-day with an ankle injury but there's optimism he plays here. Darius Garland is a perfect sidekick for Mitchell, leading the team with 8.0 assists per game while ranking second with 21.1 points per game. Jarrett Allen is also a great role player for Cleveland, averaging a double-double with 14.0 points and a team leading 11.5 rebounds per game. But, he won't play Wednesday. Second year big man Evan Mobley leads the team with 1.4 blocks per game, putting up 14.8 points per game. Mobley and Kevin Love are tied for second with 7.5 rebounds per game. Caris LeVert is third on the team with 5.3 assists per game, and is scoring 13.8 points per game.
Cleveland has put up points in bunches, ranking ninth in the league with 116.0 points per game. Cleveland is the best in the league at drawing fouls, being fouled 24.2 times per game. Cleveland's defense has been solid, ranking seventh in opponents scoring per game, surrendering 108.9 points per game.
Why The Bucks Could Cover The Spread
Giannis Antetokounmpo leads the team with 31.3 points and 11.8 rebounds per game (shocker). Jrue Holiday leads the team with 7.9 assists, with Antetokounmpo ranking second with 5.2 assists per game. Holiday ranks second by averaging 19.6 points per game. Bobby Portis is the second Buck to average a double-double, putting up 13.4 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. Unsurprisingly, Milwaukee leads the league averaging 50.5 rebounds per game. Grayson Allen has shot 42.6 percent from behind the arc, contributing largely to his 10.1 points per game. Jevon Carter is also a good option from three point range, shooting 40.0 percent from deep. Allen is doubtful for this one with an ankle injury.
Milwaukee has leveraged its size to rank third in blocks per game at 6.4. Despite shooting the seventh most three-pointers this season, Milwaukee ranks 23rd in the league by draining them at a miserable 33.7 percent clip. Milwaukee ranks 17th in the league with 111.5 points per game. Defense has been better for the team, ranking fifth by holding opponents to 107.0 points per game.
Final Cavaliers-Bucks Prediction & Pick
Milwaukee has too many scorers to keep up with, especially if those three-pointers start falling.
Final Cavaliers-Bucks Prediction & Pick: Milwaukee -4 (-112), over 217.5 (-110)
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