Bucks vs. Nets Prediction: NBA Odds, Point Spread
After being the key piece to one of the biggest trades in NBA history, James Harden will look for his second straight win in Brooklyn when the Nets host reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo on Monday night.
Brooklyn’s new Big-3 of Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving might get their first chance to establish some chemistry on Monday. Irving hasn’t played since January 5 and just cleared a mandatory five-day quarantine on Saturday after leaving the team due to personal reasons. His status is still questionable while he tries to get back to game speed.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Milwaukee is in first place in the Eastern Conference and they come into this game as 2.5-point favourites on the NBA odds with a game total of 239.5. Sports Interaction bettors, however, are banking on James Harden breathing new life into this already talented, Brooklyn team, as 83 per cent of bettors are backing the Nets.
Harden is accustomed to being the go-to guy, but that role on the Nets belongs to Durant and will likely stay with him. Expect continued high scoring games with these two players on the same team. Brooklyn has hit the over in eight straight games and nine times overall, this season.
The culture of the Bucks has changed in the last few years and it shows in the head-to-head history between these teams. Milwaukee has won 14 of the last 17 games against the Nets, including an eight game win streak in Brooklyn.
Milwaukee Bucks
Even without two MVP trophies on his resume, it’s easy to see that Giannis Antetokounmpo is clearly the single most important player to his team in the NBA. Antetokounmpo had a game-high 31 points in Milwaukee’s 112-109 win over Dallas on Friday and his team-high average of 26.6 points per game has helped the Bucks become the second highest scoring team in the NBA, averaging 120.2 points per game. Antetokounmpo and Kris Middleton are one of the highest scoring duos in the league, averaging a combined 48 points per game and the Bucks have five different players averaging double-digit points, this season.
Brooklyn Nets
Not to be outdone, Brooklyn is coming into this game, as the third highest scoring team in the NBA (118.9 points per game) and Kevin Durant is the second highest scoring player in the league, averaging 30.7 points per game. The Nets are fresh off a 122-115 win over the Orlando Magic in Harden’s Brooklyn debut, in which he finished with a triple-double of 32 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds, while Durant led the way with a season-high 42 points. Durant has been clutch all season and Harden is out to prove he is an unselfish, team-first kind of player. Even with Irving’s status still questionable, there should be no shortage of offence in this game.
MIL
BK