The Milwaukee Bucks head to Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Jazz on Monday night. It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Jazz-Bucks prediction and pick.
The Bucks lost to the Golden State Warriors 122-109 on Saturday night in San Francisco. They fell victim to Klay Thompson, who torched them for eight 3-pointers. Giannis Antetokounmpo did his best as he scored 31 points on eight rebounds, but it was not enough to defeat the Warriors. It snapped a six-game winning streak for the Bucks.
The Jazz took down the Sacramento Kings in a high-scoring 134-125 victory in their last outing. Jordan Clarkson had a monster game, scoring 45 points on 15-for-21 shooting, including 7-for-13 from beyond the arc. The Jazz will have their hands full with Milwaukee, especially considering Brook Lopez and George Hill are set to return from long injury absences.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Bucks-Jazz odds.
NBA Odds: Bucks-Jazz Odds
Bucks: -1.5 (-110)
Jazz: +1.5 (+110)
Over: 234 (-110)
Under: 234 (-110)
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Why The Bucks Could Cover The Spread
The Bucks have been one of the hottest teams in the league, winning six in a row before losing to Golden State. Antetokounmpo has been a force of nature by imposing his will on anybody and everybody. He is averaging 29.7 points and bringing down 11.5 boards per game. When these teams met on Halloween night in 2021, he put up 25 points on 10-for-20 shooting in a loss, but there is a huge advantage the Bucks have in this game: better health.
Milwaukee is getting a key cog in Brook Lopez back after dealing with a long-term back injury basically all season. Lopez will improve the Bucks' defense thanks to his rim protection. Meanwhile, George Hill hasn't played since late January and will provide backcourt depth.
For the Jazz, All-Star center Rudy Gobert is questionable with a foot injury. No Gobert against Giannis and the Bucks would be a huge problem for Utah when it comes to protecting the rim, and it would also have an impact on the rebounding battle.
Elsewhere on the Bucks, Bobby Portis and Khris Middleton have supported Antetokounmpo well this season. Portis is averaging 15.5 points per game but was held to just four points against Golden State. Milwaukee needs him to show up ready to play to take down the Jazz on the road. Middleton contributed 18 points against the Warriors and is averaging 20.3 points per game. He did not play in the October matchup against the Jazz due to an illness, so his presence in the lineup will pay dividends.
Jrue Holiday had 13 points and seven assists against the Warriors and will look to continue his solid season against Utah. Holiday also missed the game against the Jazz in October, so bringing him into the fold gives Milwaukee a dynamic weapon. The Bucks are about as healthy as they have ever been as they head into Salt Lake City, even with a few key role players (Pat Connaughton, DeAndre' Bembry) on the shelf.
Why The Jazz Could Cover The Spread
This Jazz team is dangerous even if Rudy Gobert doesn't play. They are currently the fourth seed in the Western Conference and sit within striking distance of the Memphis Grizzlies and the Warriors, who sit in second and third, respectively.
Donovan Mitchell has been amazing for Utah, scoring 25.5 points per game while pacing them with 5.4 assists per game. If Gobert does not play, Mitchell will need to step up in a big way. While Clarkson had a career night against Sacramento, Mitchell also added to the tally by putting up 25 points on 11-for-22 shooting. Bojan Bogdanovic added 26 points on 7-for-16 shooting, including 4-for-10 from the 3-point line. This is a team that can light it up from deep.
The Jazz have been good on their home floor, compiling a 24-10 record. Part of that has to do with the frenzied energy their crowd brings, and the solid fundamentals and execution deployed by Utah. The Jazz have also won four of the last five games in this series, including a season sweep last season. It is going to be a tough game for Utah given the injury situation, but playing in front of the home crowd should help against a Bucks team on a West Coast trip.
Final Bucks-Jazz Prediction & Pick
This is a similar line to the Saturday game and an almost identical scenario. The Bucks are getting healthier and could be playing a Jazz team missing a star in Rudy Gobert. The Jazz remain dangerous at home, but look for Milwaukee to get back on track with a win on the road while getting key pieces back from injury.
Final Bucks-Jazz Prediction & Pick: Bucks -1.5 (-110)
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