The Milwaukee Bucks meet the Brooklyn Nets for some Friday night fun in a rematch of their October 26 meeting, which the Bucks won 110-99.
Can the Nets avenge their earlier season loss to the Bucks? Find out in our free Milwaukee Bucks vs. Brooklyn Nets NBA picks and predictions for Friday, December 23.
Bucks vs Nets best odds
Bucks vs Nets picks and predictions
The Nets enter this matchup riding a seven-game winning streak, and much of that has to do with the play of Kyrie Irving, Patty Mills, and Kevin Durant.
Over that streak, Irving is averaging 32 points with six rebounds and five dimes per night. Durant is scoring 31 with 6.5 boards and 4.7 assists per game. These two are both shooting over 37% from downtown, over 54% from inside the arc, and have been a complete nightmare for opponents to guard.
Mills' 18.5 points and 4.5 assists have also been key to the Nets' winning ways, but they do have a test Friday night against Milwaukee.
The Bucks are the top seed in the Eastern Conference but it hasn’t been easy. Giannis is Giannis and he’s always going to be a handful but Milwaukee isn’t the same team without Khris Middleton in the lineup. Middleton has missed 24 of its 31 games and three straight with a knee ailment.
Jrue Holiday is the Bucks' second-leading scorer but has been in and out of the lineup recently. Over his last three games, Holiday is averaging 16 points with nine dimes while Brook Lopez is averaging 14 and six with 1.4 blocked shots per game.
These teams are quite familiar with one another and I expect this to be a close game with the Nets ultimately pulling it out. Irving is listed as questionable but he should play and he and Durant will lead the Nets to victory over the shorthanded Bucks.
Brooklyn is winning games because it's scoring at will and the Nets have to because they’ve surrendered 116 points per game over their last seven. I expect that trend continuing Friday. Giannis will get his but Durant, Irving, and Mills will be too much for Milwaukee to overcome.
My best bet: Nets moneyline (-140 at bet365)
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Bucks vs Nets spread analysis
I do like the Nets in this game, but I’m also leaning towards Nets -2.5 at -110.
Milwaukee will always be competitive with Giannis on the floor, but its defense isn’t the same without Middleton. The Bucks allow a fourth-best 108 points but a point worse on the road, where they are 5-7-2 ATS.
Nets center Nic Claxton is having a solid season, averaging nearly a double-double with 2.6 offensive boards per game. He could pose a big problem for a Bucks side, allowing 11.2 offensive rebounds per game.
Bobby Portis has been a massive part of what Milwaukee does, but he’s scored 10 points over his last two after scoring 66 points over the previous three. Portis is streaky, and he’s on the wrong side of a rough patch, and I’m not sold on him being a factor Friday.
Milwaukee is 4-5-1 ATS over its last 10, while Brooklyn is 5-4-1 ATS over is past 10 contests.
Bucks vs Nets Over/Under analysis
The total opened at 223.5 and is now sitting all the way up at 228.5 at most books with another point tacked on elsewhere.
This game features two Top-15 defensive teams, but we also have several highly-skilled offensive players hitting the court.
As previously mentioned, the Nets are winning because of their offense, and the average of 116 points allowed during their winning streak is a high number. Milwaukee won’t likely score 116 Friday, but Brooklyn doesn’t mind high-scoring affairs and seems content letting its offense carry the freight.
Neither side plays a very fast style of play, but they are both in the Top 17, and these players could turn their matchup into a fast-paced high-scoring game.
The Nets' 61% true shooting percentage is first in the league. Milwaukee is 19th at 56.7%.
Milwaukee is 15-16 to the Under, while the Under is 15-17 through the Nets' 32 games.
Bucks vs Nets betting trend to know
The Nets are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall. Find more NBA betting trends for Bucks vs. Nets.
Bucks vs Nets game info
| Location: | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY |
| Date: | Friday, December 23, 2022 |
| Tip-off: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | YES, Bally Sports |
