Bucks vs. Raptors Point Spread: NBA Odds, Prediction
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Charlie Grant
A meeting between top two teams in the Eastern Conference is the main dish for Thursday night’s NBA programming. The Toronto Raptors look to split their season series against the Milwaukee Bucks and grab sole possession of first place in the East when Giannis Antetokounmpo comes north of the border.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
Milwaukee is well ahead of its winning pace from last season. A year ago the Bucks were just four games over .500 and in seventh place in the conference. Twelve months later, and one new head coach, and the club is rocketing to the top of the Association. The Bucks own the league’s best straight up record at 36-13 and they’re one of the better bets too at 27-19-3 against the spread.
Milwaukee is coming off a 115-105 victory as 7-point chalk against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night. The Bucks are just 1-3-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last five games. The best way to bet this team in recent weeks is on the total. The under is 8-3 in the Bucks’ last 11 contests.
Meanwhile, the Raptors sit a half game back of Milwaukee after they squeaked by the Mavericks on Sunday. Toronto is just 3-5 ATS in its last eight matchups. The Drakes are 0-5 ATS in their last five games playing with three days or more of rest.
The Dinos covered and won outright as 5.5-point underdogs when they played at Milwaukee earlier this month. Raps point guard Kyle Lowry did not play in that game.
Milwaukee Bucks
There’s no question Antetokounmpo is the player chiefly responsible for the Bucks’ success this season, but he’s getting some help from his supporting cast.
The starting backcourt is particularly impressive. Eric Bledsoe is playing his best basketball in years while 2017 NBA rookie of the year Malcolm Brogdon is shooting 41.6 percent from 3-point ranch while playing excellent perimeter defence.
Khris Middleton is starting to rediscover his stroke and big man Brook Lopez is forcing opposing centres to guard him 25-feet away from the rim because of his accuracy from long distance.
Toronto Raptors
Few people would have ever thought Kawhi Leonard would be among the league-leaders in scoring even after he took home the NBA Finals MVP in 2014. Leonard averaged just 17.9 points during the rematch series against the Miami Heat. He won the award more than anything because of his defence on LeBron James.
But Leonard has blossomed into a go-to player on the other end of the court. He’s scored 30 or more points in six of his last seven appearances and he’s climbed up to fourth in the NBA in points per game at 27.9.
