NBA: Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks Preview, Odds, Predictions

The Atlanta Hawks meet another conference rival, the Milwaukee Bucks. The game takes place at the Fiserv Forum in Wisconsin, and it is the second of back-to-back events for both units. We saw them triumph last night, meaning this contest should be fun to watch. The Hawks and the Bucks met in the East finals two years ago, when Milwaukee managed to eliminate the rivals and win the title later. A lot has changed since, yet the cores of these respective units are pretty much the same, and they all know one another very well.

Preview

Atlanta Hawks (4-1, +185) opened the year very well, with four wins in five games. The Hawks look tough on both ends of the court, though, we need to say that the rivals had been more or less mediocre. Houston, Orlando, charlotte, and Detroit twice in a row; that was Atlanta’s schedule so far.

Last night the Hawks demolished the Pistons on the road 136-112, having excellent second half in which they allowed 45 points and scored 67. Trae had a showdown with Cade Cunningham, who had 35 points. Meanwhile, the Hawks’ superstar scored 36 with 12 assists, once again amazing fans all over the world.

Dejounte Murray had 26 points, 12-for-21, with five assists and four rebounds, and the former Spurs’ guard proved to be the perfect addition to the Hawks’ crew. Once Bogi comes back, this team will have one of the deepest rosters in the East. Onyeka Okongwu scored 16 off the bench, Aaron Holiday 14.

Milwaukee Bucks (4-0, -225) still didn’t lose, even though there are certain problems with injuries in the locker room. Middleton is out, Connaughton, as well, and Joe Ingles, who was acquired in a trade from the Jazz, still didn’t appear on the court.

But there is no problem when you have Giannis. The two-time NBA MVP averages 36 points per game, with 13 boards. So, Bucks fans, you don’t need to worry too much about the results until Middleton comes back. Mike Budenholzers’ crew was better than the Knicks last night, 119-108, with Giannis going below his usual numbers, having 30 buckets and 14 boards, coming one assist short of a triple-double.

Grayson Allen had 17, Holiday 16, Brook Lopez 14, and 11 boards, the same as Jevon Carter, who also had 14 buckets. Bobby Portis added a double-double with 12 points and rebounds, and George Hill delivered 12 buckets too.

Head to Head Games

The Bucks had a negative record during the regular part of the season against the Hawks, 1-2. Both games in Atlanta ended in the hosts’ favor, 120-100 and 121-114, while the one at Fiserv finished 124-115 for the Bucks.

Prediction

We have to go with over 228 points here. That’s the current line for the totals, and in our opinion, it is the best solution for this event. The Hawks have numerous options in the backcourt, with Murray and Trae being able to score 25+ against any given defense, including the best ones. On the other side, the Bucks’s offense is too strong for the Hawks’ defense, which is another reason we bet on a high number of points.

Pick: Over 228 points