The Milwaukee Bucks welcome the Brooklyn Nets to Fiserv Forum for a matchup of Eastern Conference contenders on Tuesday. The teams faced off on Sunday in Milwaukee, with the Bucks prevailing by a three-point final margin. Brooklyn is 43-22 overall and 18-14 on the road, with Milwaukee sporting a 40-24 record and a 21-10 mark in its home building. James Harden (hamstring) remains out of action for Brooklyn, with Jeff Teague (abdominal) out for Milwaukee.
Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET in Milwaukee. The latest Nets vs. Bucks odds from William Hill Sportsbook list Milwaukee as a 1.5-point favorite. The over-under for total points is set at 242. Before finalizing any Bucks vs. Nets picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned over $9,200 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past two-plus seasons. The model is up over $1,200 on its top-rated picks this season and entered Week 20 of the 2020-21 NBA schedule on a stunning 97-62 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread dating back to last season. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Nets vs. Bucks. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting trends for Bucks vs. Nets:
- Nets vs. Bucks spread: Bucks -1.5
- Nets vs. Bucks over-under: 242 points
- Nets vs. Bucks money line: Bucks -120, Nets +100
- BKN: The Nets are 6-4 against the spread in the last 10 games
- MIL: The Bucks are 6-4 against the spread in the last 10 games
Why the Nets can cover
Brooklyn's offense is virtually unstoppable. The Nets lead the NBA in offensive rating, scoring more than 1.17 points per possession, and they are also No. 1 in the league in field goal shooting at 49.2 percent. Brooklyn is a top-five team both inside the arc (56.5 percent) and outside the arc (38.8 percent), with top-10 marks in free throw creation (22.5 attempts per game) and free throw accuracy (81.0 percent). They also move the ball well, producing 26.7 assists per game, and they turn the ball over on only 13.5 percent of offensive possessions.
Milwaukee is just 23rd in the NBA in defensive turnover creation, further strengthening Brooklyn's ball security projection in this matchup. Defensively, the Nets aren't elite, but they are above-average in shooting efficiency allowed, assists allowed (24.3 per game) and free throw rate allowed for the season. Milwaukee is a bottom-five team at getting to the line, and the Nets will happily turn the game into a shooting competition with the most talented offensive roster in the NBA.
Why the Bucks can cover
The Bucks are one of the best teams in the NBA, out-scoring their opponents by 6.3 points per 100 possessions for the season. Milwaukee is tremendous on both ends of the floor, as evidenced by top-seven rankings in both offensive and defensive efficiency, and they also match up well with Brooklyn. The Bucks knocked off the Nets on Sunday, and Brooklyn struggles defensively on the whole.
The Nets are just 25th in the NBA in defensive rating, and they are poor at creating havoc, ranking just 28th in the league in forcing turnovers. From there, the Bucks can potentially rely on extra possessions created with a rebounding advantage, as Brooklyn is a strongly below-average rebounding team on both ends of the floor. Milwaukee also leads the NBA in free throw prevention defensively, and the Bucks deploy an analytically-friendly approach that leads them to high-end success.
How to make Bucks vs. Nets picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 241 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time. You can get that pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Bucks vs. Nets? And which side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a roll on NBA picks.
