The Milwaukee Bucks' season started about as poorly as possible for a defending champion — ravaged by injuries and on the fringe of the playoff picture.
But steadily, they've climbed back to the top, fueled by health and monster performances from NBA MVP odds contender Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Within a half-game of the No. 1 seed, Milwaukee can reach the peak of its journey with a win over the Los Angeles Clippers tonight.
Find out if they can also cover a hefty spread on a back-to-back with our Clippers vs. Bucks NBA picks and predictions for Friday, April 1.
(Editor's Note: This preview was written and published prior to Friday afternoon's announcement that Giannis Antetokounmpo will be out for the Bucks tonight.)
Clippers vs Bucks odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
Milwaukee opened as a -8.5 favorite, with early action driving the Clippers down to +7.5 by Friday morning. The total opened between 228 and 232, being bet down to the 226 range.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Clippers vs Bucks predictions
Predictions made on 4/1/2022 at 10:40 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for the 2021-22 NBA season, here are two of the best bonuses available:
USA: New user big boost: Bet $1 on any NBA moneyline at DraftKings and get $150 in free bets if your team wins! Sign Up Now
Canada: Get a 100%-matched sign-up bonus (up to $400) at BetVictor. Claim Now
Clippers vs Bucks game info
• Location: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
• Date: Friday, April 1, 2022
• Tip-off: 8:00 p.m. ET
• TV: Bally Sports Wisconsin, Bally Sports SoCal
Clippers vs Bucks betting preview
Key injuries
Clippers: Kawhi Leonard SF (Out), Norman Powell SF (Out).
Bucks: No injuries to report.
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Bucks are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games as favorites. Find more NBA betting trends for Clippers vs. Bucks.
Clippers vs Bucks picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Spread analysis
It's been a long season for Milwaukee, but the Bucks are refusing to quit. Milwaukee gutted out impressive come-from-behind wins against both the 76ers and Nets this week and now gets to face a less-challenging Clippers squad. With a win, Milwaukee ties Miami atop the Eastern Conference.
Both these teams played overtime games last night with contrasting results. The Bucks, obviously, toppled the Nets in dramatic fashion, while the Clippers choked away a double-digit lead to King in the Fourth DeMar DeRozan and the Bulls — who have been awful against good teams and pretty bad in general the past couple of weeks.
The results are indicative of these teams' trends right now, with the Bucks finding ways to win despite still playing flawed basketball (29% from three, 22 turnovers last night) while the Clippers are just 3-7 straight up in their last 10 games, and have zero urgency in terms of playoff seeding, virtually locked into the No. 8 seed.
The return of Paul George obviously injects an All-NBA talent into a roster that trod water with its scrappy defense and a score-by-committee approach for most of the season. PG gives the Clippers not only a world-class scorer and defender but opens up opportunities for guys like Reggie Jackson and Terance Mann with the attention he draws from the opposition.
And while his presence is enough to ensure the Clippers aren't completely blown out, it's probably not enough to keep this game close against the Bucks, especially if last night is any indication.
Yes, DeRozan went nuclear (scoring 50), but the Clippers — who, for argument's sake, have the NBA's third-worst rebound rate and allow the fifth-most points in the paint — have to contend with Giannis F***ing Antetokounmpo tonight, who is playing arguably the best basketball of anyone in the league right now, and has two absolute murders on his rap sheet this week.
The Clips simply have no answer for peak Giannis. Their interior defense is feeble and George will have to uncork a stellar effort after shooting 7 of 20 against the Bulls' exposed-as-bad defense last night to even come close to what Giannis is producing on offense. The Bucks are steadily improving on D now that they're healthy and primed. It's clear that they've flipped a switch, and a defense that slid into the 20s for stretches of February and March is now No. 5 over the past five games.
The Bucks are working out the kinks now that they're fully healthy, but again, are still finding ways to win. And they're doing so against better teams than the Clippers (for what it's worth, the Bucks beat Chicago by 28 just over a week ago). Milwaukee still hasn't hit its ceiling, and with Giannis playing the way he is right now, it's very tough to fade The Herd.
Milwaukee's motivated to get that No. 1 seed, which would likely prevent it from facing Brooklyn in the first round. And the Bucks will also be back on their home court fueled by a strong home crowd after two huge road wins. Count on them to not leave room for doubt tonight.
Prediction: Bucks -7.5 (-110 at bet365)
Over/Under analysis
Did we mention both teams played overtime games last night?
There should be tired legs all around, especially with both squads on overnight flights back to Wisconsin (albeit, short ones).
The Bucks, especially, are going to drive the Under here, now that they give a shit about defense again. The Bucks are 7-3 to the Under in their last 10 games and hit it last night despite both reaching OT and playing against two of the most flammable scorers in the history of basketball.
The Clippers have hit a run of Overs lately, but they're unlikely to want to push the tempo tonight — an invitation Milwaukee will almost surely reciprocate. It will, likewise, be a challenge for them to score against an engaged Bucks defense.
Sportsbooks may have been expecting public perception to not have caught up yet, with the Bucks averaging 224.6 total points over their past five games, after a whopping 243.9 per in their previous 18.
Especially with both teams on back-to-backs, expect tonight to fall short. But this total has been steadily falling — so don't bet the Under much lower than this.
Prediction: Under 226.5 (-110 at DraftKings)
Best bet
Stay tuned for a best bet — coming soon when markets are live!
Pick: TBA
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NBA Clippers vs. Bucks predictions and picks in a single-game parlay, you could win $26.45 on a $10 bet?
Use our NBA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
