Don’t let the Toronto Raptors get hot! Well, you probably still can, but the Raptors have won two in a row and will try to make it three straight when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks as 11.5-point underdogs tonight.
One of the guys who has helped get those wins has been sophomore standout Gradey Dick. The sharpshooter is finding his rhythm and my Raptors vs. Bucks predictions have a specific player prop backing him.
Check out my NBA picks for this Eastern Conference matchup set to tip off at 8:00 pm ET on Friday, January 17.
Raptors vs Bucks prediction
My Raptors pick
Gradey Dick Over 2.5 threes (+140 at PointsBet Canada)
My analysis
Toronto Raptors fans might be a little conflicted. Yes, getting back-to-back wins over the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics is fun, but that also comes at the cost of losing ground in the race for the top pick in the upcoming NBA draft.
Either way, the Raptors are currently putting a better effort on the court lately. If they manage to extend this winning streak tonight, it will mean upsetting the Milwaukee Bucks as 11.5-point road underdogs.
The Raps and Bucks have already played twice this season and neither matchup was very close. The Bucks won a 99-85 defensive battle in Milwaukee as 9-point home favorites back on November 12, and they followed that up with a 128-104 win in Toronto on January 6 as 6-point road chalk.
If the Raptors want to buck that trend (sorry for the bad pun), they’ll need to keep shooting the ball well, particularly on the perimeter. That’s where you want to attack the Bucks. Not only does it keep you far away from Giannis Antetokounmpo, but Milwaukee enters this game ranked 22nd in both opponent 3-point attempts and 3-point makes per game, while also sitting 16th in opponent 3-point shooting percentage.
That has me looking at the Raptors’ Gradey Dick. The sophomore sharpshooter has found his rhythm again. Dick is shooting 37.3% from 3-point range on 6.4 attempts per game over his last eight games, which includes him going 3-for-9 from beyond the arc in that Jan. 6 meeting.
With both of these teams also ranking in the top half of the league when it comes to pace of play, that should mean plenty of opportunities for Dick to jack up some treys in this matchup.
Raptors vs Bucks same-game parlay
Gradey Dick Over 2.5 threes
Damian Lillard Over 3.5 threes
Raptors +11.5
Dick may not be the only shooter lighting it up tonight. Damian Lillard has been on fire since returning from a calf injury, shooting 43.6% from 3-point range over his last 10 games. He’s also hit 4+ threes four times over that stretch, which includes cooking the Raptors by going 5-of-8 from downtown when they last met.
He’ll have a great chance to stay hot with Toronto ranking 23rd in opponent 3-point attempts per game and 24th in opponent 3-point percentage.
That said, the Raptors are playing better at the moment and have covered spreads in three of their last four games against some of the best teams in the NBA. While the Bucks are playing well, they’ve been favored by double-digits three times since the start of December — and are 0-3 ATS in those contests.
Give me the Raptors getting all those points.
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Raptors vs Bucks odds
Raptors vs Bucks live odds
Raptors vs Bucks opening odds
- Spread: Toronto +11.5 | Milwaukee -11.5
- Moneyline: Toronto +475 | Milwaukee -650
- Over/Under: Over 232 | Under 232
Odds courtesy of PointsBet Canada
Raptors vs Bucks spread and Over/Under analysis
- The Raptors opened this Eastern Conference matchup as 11.5-point favorites and were briefly faded up to -12.
- The Bucks have won and covered both meetings with the Raptors this season, but the last time Toronto visited Milwaukee, it was a 9-point underdog in a game where the Raptors were without Scottie Barnes. This price feels like an over-adjustment to the Bucks winning five of their last six.
- The total hit the board at 232 and is up just a half-point since opening.
- We've seen two very different games between these teams this season. The first was a defensive battle that stayed well below the closing total of 226, while the second crept over a closing number of 231.5. Those varying results, combined with a higher number tonight, are why I'm avoiding the total.
Raptors vs Bucks trend
Toronto has covered the 1H Spread in 40 of its last 69 games (+7.80 Units / 10% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Raptors vs. Bucks.
How to watch Raptors vs Bucks
| Location: | Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Date: | Friday, 1-17-2025 |
| Tip-off: | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | SN, FDSN |
Raptors vs Bucks latest injuries
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