It took some time, but the Milwaukee Bucks have found their A-game and they’ve won 18 of their last 19 heading into tonight’s matchup against the Brooklyn Nets.
After a perfect February and a hot start to March, the Bucks have emerged as top dogs in the East, and they had too much firepower for the Magic on Tuesday, even with Giannis and Jrue Holiday sitting out.
The Nets’ new-look roster is just scrapping to get the No. 6 seed but three straight wins, including an upset in Boston, have at least improved the mood in Brooklyn.
Check out our free Nets vs. Bucks NBA picks and predictions for a deep dive into this Eastern Conference matchup.
Nets vs Bucks best odds
Nets vs Bucks picks and predictions
The Nets arrive at Fiserv Forum with a depleted group, with Spencer Dinwiddie, Cam Johnson, Royce O’Neale, and Nic Claxton all part of a lengthy injury list. Someone still has to put up points for the visitors, so why not Mikal Bridges, who’s scored 30 points or more in four of his last five games?
While the Bucks are a formidable force on the defensive end, they'll be without Giannis Antetokounmpo and likely won’t need to reach top gear to get the W. That opens the door for Bridges to get to his spots and try to exploit mismatches against Grayson Allen or Pat Connaughton. The presence of teammate Dorian Finney-Smith should also free him from extended minutes guarding Jrue Holiday or Khris Middleton.
Bridges finished with 31 points on 11-for-19 shooting when these teams met 10 days ago, and there’s every chance he’ll have more field goal attempts here with Brooklyn missing other key scorers.
With some question marks elsewhere on the injury report, I’m taking this Bridges points prop and counting on the Nets wing to continue his impressive scoring run tonight.
My best bet: Mikal Bridges Over 24.5 points (-125)
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Nets vs Bucks spread analysis
A 12-point line here speaks to both Milwaukee’s recent dominance and Brooklyn’s new normal. In the Bucks’ last nine wins, the margin has been double digits in six of them, and they should have a rested Giannis back on the court tonight.
Milwaukee blew past the Nets in the second half of their late-February showdown in Brooklyn, winning 118-104 behind a 33-point, 15-rebound effort from the Greek Freak — and it could be a similar story at Fiserv Forum, especially with the Nets missing Claxton’s rim protection.
If everyone is available tonight, Mike Budenholzer will have some decisions to make in his starting five. Khris Middleton had been coming off the bench for the Bucks since returning from injury but was back with the starters against the Magic due to the absences of Giannis and Holiday. Either way, there have been encouraging signs that Middleton is creeping back to his pre-injury form.
Though the visitors have won three in a row, two of those victories came against the Hornets and Rockets — and the other was an unlikely comeback from a 28-point hole against the Celtics. Expect one-way traffic tonight.
Nets vs Bucks Over/Under analysis
The Bucks have reached the 130-mark in three of their last four games and the offense should keep humming tonight. The Over is 5-1 in the Bucks’ last six games following an ATS win, and Brook Lopez, Middleton, and Jevon Carter all took advantage of extra touches on Tuesday night, combining for 74 points.
The bigger question mark is whether the Nets will score enough points to do some of the heavy lifting toward a total north of 230. Without Dinwiddie, Brooklyn is short on playmaking, and the hosts give up nothing easy in the paint.
The numbers trend towards the Under tonight. It’s 11-2-1 in the Nets’ last 14 games against a team with a winning record and 6-0 in their last six games after covering the spread in their prior contest. It’s also 5-1 in the Bucks’ last six games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous outing.
Nets vs Bucks betting trend to know
If anything, this line could be higher, with the Bucks 6-1 ATS in their last seven games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous outing. Find more NBA betting trends for Nets vs. Bucks.
Nets vs Bucks game info
| Location: | Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI |
| Date: | Thursday, March 9, 2023 |
| Tip-off: | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | YES, Bally Sports Wisconsin |
