The Milwaukee Bucks will travel to take on the Toronto Raptors in a Wednesday night NBA matchup at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NBA odds series, which includes a Bucks-Raptors prediction and pick, laid out below.
Milwaukee has gone 24-13 this season, good for third place in the Eastern Conference. An early season nine-game winning streak propelled the team through a rough patch to end December. Head coach Mike Budenholzer once again has his team primed for a playoff appearance.
Toronto has struggled to a 16-21 record, sitting in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. In their last 12 games, Toronto has lost nine, dropping their record below .500. Head coach Nick Nurse has made the playoffs in three of his first four seasons as head coach, but that is in danger right now.
Here are the Bucks-Raptors NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Bucks-Raptors Odds
Milwaukee Bucks: +5 (-110)
Toronto Raptors: -5 (-110)
Over: 226.5 (-110)
Under: 226.5 (-110)
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Why The Bucks Could Cover The Spread
Giannis Antetokounmpo leads the team with 32.8 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. The Greek Freak is shooting 53.6 percent from the field, while Toronto has struggled to limit opponents’ shooting. Opponents shot 48.9 percent against Toronto. Jrue Holiday leads the team with 7.2 assists, 1.5 steals per game, and ranks second with 18.4 points per game. Toronto has only turned the ball over 12.4 times per game. Bobby Portis, who has spent the majority of the season coming off the bench, is averaging a double-double with 14.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. While Toronto has not exactly cleaned up on the boards, they have allowed the seventh-fewest rebounds per game to opponents. Milwaukee ranks second averaging 48.8 rebounds and fifth with 5.4 blocks per game. Brook Lopez has turned back the clock, averaging 14.8 points per game, his highest total since 2016-17. Lopez leads the league with 2.7 blocks per game.
Milwaukee is averaging 112.7 points per game, which ranks 18th in the league. The strong record for Milwaukee can be largely attributed to their defense, which allows just 110.8 points per game, sixth in the league. Milwaukee has held their opponents to a 45.6 shooting percentage.
Why The Raptors Could Cover The Spread
Pascal Siakam leads the team with 26.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game. Siakam missed ten games earlier in the season but has been healthy since. OG Anunoby leads the team with 2.2 steals per game, also ranking second with 18.6 points per game. Anunoby shot 47.1 percent from the field. Fred Van Vleet’s hot shooting has cooled off a bit, yet he still ranks third on the team with 18.1 points per game. Gary Trent Jr. is fourth with 16.3 points and tied for second with 1.6 steals per game. Scottie Barnes has put up 14.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. Chris Boucher, the team’s main weapon off the bench, has put up 10.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. The team has missed Otto Porter Jr., who is set to miss another week or two.
Toronto doesn’t turn the ball over much, ranking second with 12.4 turnovers. The team has averaged 111.4 points per game, which ranks 26th in the league. The defense has been strong, with Toronto leading the league with 9.4 steals per game. Opponents have averaged 111.5 points per game, which ranks 10th in the league.
Final Bucks-Raptors Prediction & Pick
The Greek Freak is too unstoppable, and these two strong defenses will keep the total under.
Final Bucks-Raptors Prediction & Pick: Milwaukee +5 (-110), under 226.5 (-110)
How To Watch Bucks vs. Raptors
TV: ESPN, Bally Sports Wisconsin
Stream: NBA, NBA League Pass
Time: 7:40 PM ET/ 4:40 PM PT
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