Hawks vs Bucks Prediction, Picks, and Odds for Today’s NBA Game

Douglas Farmer isn't sold on Atlanta following its upset over New York, and his Hawks vs. Bucks predictions explain why you shouldn't be either.

Douglas Farmer - Betting Analyst at Covers
Douglas Farmer • Betting Analyst
Dec 14, 2024 • 13:56 ET • 4 min read

NBA

Match starts: 0 mins
MIL
62 %
ATL
38 %
EXPERT PICK - SPREAD
Milwaukee -4.0 (-107) Milwaukee -4.0 (-107)
Read Analysis
Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee Bucks NBA
Photo By - Imagn Images.

When no one was looking, the Milwaukee Bucks turned their season around. Everyone should notice today in Las Vegas in the NBA Cup semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks, still a betting liability despite advancing to this showcase.

My Hawks vs. Bucks predictions and NBA picks doubt Atlanta, as has long been a smart decision, despite its showing up in this moment.

Tip comes at 4:30 ET on Saturday, December 14.

Hawks vs Bucks prediction

My best bet
Bucks -4 (-110 at bet365)

My analysis
Set aside the compliment the Milwaukee Bucks have been here before. Well, not here literally. Milwaukee did not advance to the semifinals of last year’s inaugural NBA Cup, but the core of this franchise has won an NBA title. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez will not be bothered by this moment. And to be clear, it is a moment. Winning the NBA Cup is worth more than half a million dollars to every player on a roster. Even for superstars like Giannis, winning that money for their teammates means something.

But we said we would set aside that compliment.

The Atlanta Hawks and Trae Young need to be faded for the foreseeable future. They've fallen short of bookmakers’ expectations for far too long. The Hawks were a historical disappointment against the spread last season, going a laughable 29-53 across the season.

They've hardly improved in that regard, sitting at 11-15 this year. Upsetting the Knicks to advance in the NBA Cup is not enough to dissuade that doubt.

Milwaukee has enjoyed the No. 5 offensive rating in the NBA in the last month, and the Damian Lillard experiment is finally clicking. That is the reason to trust the Bucks today.

Hawks vs Bucks same-game parlay

Bucks -4

Over 232.5 points

Trae Young Under 22.5 points

Betting on the Bucks is betting on offense. Doc Rivers has yet to figure out his defensive wants in this stop of his coaching career. And betting on Milwaukee’s offense should push this game well past its total of 232.5.

Combining that thought with the Under on Trae Young’s points prop escalates this same-game parlay payout. Young not scoring should crush hopes of an Over bet. But he moves the ball so well, a bad shooting afternoon can actually boost overall scoring.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Cash your ML bets quicker with bet365's early win payout

Take advantage of the early win payout at bet365, where any pre-game NBA moneyline bet gets paid out as a winner if your team goes up by 20+ points!

Learn more about this feature, and all of bet365's offerings, with our comprehensive bet365 review.

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Hawks vs Bucks odds

Hawks vs Bucks live odds

Hawks vs Bucks opening odds

  • Spread: Atlanta +3 | Milwaukee -3
  • Moneyline: Atlanta +135 | Milwaukee -160
  • Over/Under: Over 231.5 | Under 231.5

Odds courtesy of bet365

Hawks vs Bucks spread and Over/Under analysis

  • This spread opened with Milwaukee favored by three points on Thursday and climbed to -4 on Friday morning.
  • It toggled back to -3.5 for some of Friday before landing at -4 with certainty.
  • This total opened at 231.5 and plummeted to 227 by Saturday morning, then rallying all morning up to 232.5.

Hawks vs Bucks trend

The Atlanta Hawks have only covered the spread in 34 of their last 85 games (-22.10 Units / -24% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Hawks vs. Bucks.

How to watch Hawks vs Bucks

Location: T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, NV
Date: Saturday, 12-14-2024
Tip-off: 4:30 p.m. ET
TV: TNT

Hawks vs Bucks latest injuries

Not intended for use in MA.
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Douglas Farmer
Betting Analyst

Douglas Farmer spends his days thinking about college football and his nights thinking about the NBA. His betting habits and coverage follow that same pattern. He covered Notre Dame football for various outlets from 2008 to 2024, most notably spending eight seasons as NBC Sports’ beat writer on the Irish. That was also when his gambling focus took off. Knowing there were veteran beat writers with three decades more experience than he had, Douglas found his niche by best recognizing Notre Dame’s standing in each year’s national landscape, a complex tapestry most easily understood and remembered via betting odds.

In 2021, that interest created a freelance opportunity with Covers, a role that eventually led to Douglas joining the company full-time in 2023. In the fall, Douglas will place five or six dozen bets each week, a disproportionate amount via BetRivers because the operator tends to have lines slightly different than the rest of the market. The same can be said of Circa Sports’ futures markets.

While Douglas is an avid NBA fan and covers the league throughout the year, the vast majority of his bets are on college football, because that is the biggest key to sports betting: Know what you do not know.

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