Beasts in the East do battle when the Cleveland Cavaliers visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night.
Cleveland is tops in the Eastern Conference and brings its big bad lineup to Fiserv Forum, putting emphasis on Milwaukee center Brook Lopez to hold his own. The veteran big has watched his scoring slip so far this month, but he’s still a threat to make shots from deep.
I like Lopez to let it fly from beyond the arc with Cavaliers vs. Bucks predictions and NBA picks for March 9.
Cavaliers vs Bucks prediction
My best bet
Brook Lopez Over 1.5 threes (+125 at bet365)
My analysis
Brook Lopez takes on a towering Cleveland Cavaliers frontcourt, featuring Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, which will make it hard to operate inside and around the paint.
Instead, Lopez’s shooting touch from outside can lure those bigs to the perimeter, stretch the floor, and present opportunities for the veteran to take open looks from long range. On the year, Lopez is shooting 39% from distance inside Fiserv Forum and knocking down two triples per home game on more than five attempts.
In the past six outings, his success from outside hasn’t been sharp, but he did go 2-for-2 from distance in the win over Orlando yesterday. Before that stretch, Lopez had recorded 2+ makes from 3-point land in six of eight games between February 2 and February 23.
Tonight’s matchup with Cleveland calls for an up-tempo battle with both sides ranked Top 10 in offensive pace. Game script also says the Milwaukee Bucks will be fighting from behind, with Cleveland listed as an 8.5-point road favorite.
The Cavaliers do a great job keeping foes away from the inside (10th-fewest PITP), which pushes offense to the perimeter. Rival centers attempt 11.2 3-pointers per game (fourth most) against the Cavs, with an average of 4.1 of those attempts going down.
Lopez and the Bucks have faced the Cavs three times this season, with Cleveland winning all three. The 7-footer was 2-for-3, 1-for-5, and 2-for-7 from 3-point range in that trio of contests and player projections expect at least two triples from him tonight.
Forecasts range from 1.2 to 2.0 makes from downtown, with my number at 1.7 from 3-point land. That should have the Over 1.5 triples priced around +103 (which is where some other books have this listed). However, you can get 2+ from Lopez at +125 at bet365.
Cavaliers vs Bucks same-game parlay
Brook Lopez 2+ threes
Damian Lillard 5+ assists
Darius Garland 20+ points
Lopez will draw the Cavs’ big men to the outside with his shooting touch, knocking down two triples tonight.
Lillard will drive and kick against the Cavs’ tough interior defense, with game models calling for 6+ dimes.
Given the up-and-down pace, Garland will enjoy the tempo of this tilt. He’s projected for 20 or more points.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Cavaliers at Bucks final score prediction
Cleveland Cavaliers 125, Milwaukee Bucks 115
Both teams push the pace and put up plenty of points, with Cleveland pulling away to cover the spread.
Cavaliers vs Bucks odds
Cavaliers vs Bucks live odds
Cavaliers vs Bucks opening odds
- Spread: Cleveland -8 | Milwaukee +8
- Moneyline: Cleveland -315 | Milwaukee +255
- Over/Under: Over 237.5 | Under 237.5
Odds courtesy of bet365.
Cavaliers vs Bucks spread and Over/Under analysis
• Bookies opened with Milwaukee as an 8-point home underdog. After climbing to as high as Bucks +9, this spread has returned to its original stand at +8.
• The Over/Under hit the board at 237.5 points and has ticked up to 239.5, with money on the Over.
• According to Covers Consensus, 70% of picks are taking the points with the underdog Bucks at home. As for the total, 62% of picks are on the Over.
Cavaliers vs Bucks trend
The Cavaliers have gone Over the total in 60 of their last 94 games (+22.60 units / 22% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs. Bucks.
How to watch Cavaliers vs Bucks
| Location | Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI |
| Date | Sunday, 3-9-2025 |
| Tip-off | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
Cavaliers vs Bucks latest injuries
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