Raptors vs. Bucks NBA Betting Odds, Picks: Scottie Barnes listed as questionable
The Raptors conclude a four-game road trip Friday with their easiest stop on it as they visit the rebuilding Milwaukee Bucks, perhaps the Eastern Conference’s worst club. Toronto is -6.5 on the NBA odds with a total of 230.5. It’s an NBA Cup game.
Raptors vs. Bucks NBA Betting Odds
Toronto clearly isn’t thinking about playoff seeding in April right now, but this is one of those games that you really don’t want to lose. Could cost you a seed line in the Eastern Conference’s postseason. But at the same time, this feels a bit of a trap spot for the Raptors at the end of their four-game swing and after visiting Los Angeles (two games) and Denver.
Milwaukee isn’t going to be good again for a while after fully kick-starting a rebuild this offseason in shipping out superstar and former league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and solid player Bobby Portis to Miami. The Bucks got back an OK but not great package of Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks, one pick swap and one second-round pick. Herro, a Milwaukee native, was the big name back, but he’s far from a star. Good player.
One of those picks was a 2026 first-rounder that landed at No. 13 overall and the Bucks took Tennessee forward Nate Ament. He hasn’t done much yet in the NBA. But No. 10 overall pick Brayden Burries (Bucks’ own pick) has shown some promise.
This is the first of three regular-season meetings, and the only one in Milwaukee. They played four times last season and the Raptors dropped the first but won the next three.
NBA Player Odds and Props
For Toronto, take R.J. Barrett for at least 20 points as he has hit that number in seven of eight games. We won on that prop the last time we previewed the Raptors on Monday at the Clippers. For Milwaukee, back centre Kel’el Ware over his rebound number. He averages 8.3 but has hit at least 10 three times and missed by one once.
Toronto Raptors
The end of a longer trip is always a potential trap spot for teams in professional sports, so we shall see if coach Darko Rajaković can keep the Dinos from avoiding that – but Scottie Barnes is questionable.
A win here and the trip is considered a success at 2-2, but 1-3 definitely not. Toronto looked tired Wednesday in getting blown out 128-109 in Denver, which had been struggling.
The Raptors’ defensive struggles in the first quarter this season continued in allowing 33 points, although Toronto scored 35. But that has been an issue.
Somehow, the Dinos were outscored 41-15 in the third when leading at the half. R.J. Barrett led the way with 22 points.
Centre Jakub Poeltl returned from missing two games but didn’t start. A reserve role seemed to suit him with eight points on 4-for-5 shooting and five rebounds in just 19 minutes.
Collin Murray-Boyles started a second straight game, and he played well to with 13 points on 6-for-10 shooting along with three boards in 23 minutes. This might be a permanent thing.
Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks probably won’t win double-digit road games this season but might catch overconfident teams coming to Milwaukee. The team’s lone victory was at home vs. Indiana on Oct. 26. Since then, a four-game bloodbath.
The Bucks “only” lost by seven in Boston on Wednesday but the Celtics rested superstar Jayson Tatum, led by 21 at the half and took their foot off the gas – Milwaukee actually took a lead briefly before the C’s woke up again.
Tyler Herro led Milwaukee with 25 points, but he gets little help most nights. It was Herro’s sixth 20-point game, he has hit at least four 3-pointers in six games (tied for second NBA) and his 29 total 3-pointers made are also second.
I will tell you that Milwaukee owns a stellar 14-3 record overall in NBA Cup play all-time (won the 2024-25 version) and 10-2 in group-play games like this. But the Bucks had Giannis Antetokounmpo for most of those. Milwaukee appears completely healthy.
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