Jarrett Allen, says it won’t be well with Cavaliers….
The Milwaukee Bucks (31-13) welcome the Cleveland Cavaliers (26-16) to Fiserv Forum Friday. Tip is set for 8 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Cavaliers vs. Bucks odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions.
Season series: Bucks lead 2-1
The 4th meeting this season comes just 2 days after they played each other in Milwaukee, with the Bucks winning 126-116 Wednesday as a 6.5-point home favorite. With it, Milwaukee snapped a stretch of 5 straight games in which it failed to cover. It is 2-10 against the spread (ATS) in its last 12 and 17-26-1 ATS on the season.
The Cavaliers are strumming to a different tune. They are 22-20 ATS on the season and 5-1 ATS over their last 6. The loss to Milwaukee snapped an 8-game winning streak for the Cavaliers, who have covered in 7 of their last 9. They are led by G Donovan Mitchell, who is averaging 27.6 points per game.
Cavaliers at Bucks odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:41 a.m. ET.
The Bucks haven’t covered well lately, but they have won 6 of their last 7 and 4 straight at home. With Antetokounmpo leading the charge, they are hard to beat at home but are too expensive to play on the moneyline.
The Bucks are actually among the bottom 3rd teams in the NBA when it comes to covering at home. They are just 9-13-1 ATS at Fiserv while Cleveland is 10-8-1 ATS on the road.
The Cavaliers, behind Mitchell, have the scoring to keep pace with Milwaukee, totaling at least 116 in 4 straight games. Both of their losses in the series, while they have failed to cover in each, have been by 10 or fewer.
Cleveland is still surging despite a hiccup Wednesday and should be able to keep this one close. Back CAVALIERS +6 (-112).
This total is just too high with a defense of this caliber in Cleveland. The Cavaliers sit 3rd in defensive rating rate a 21st in pace. They won’t want to push the tempo. The Cavs and Bucks both rank outside the top ten in offensive rebounding rate, so one shouldn’t expect many second-chance opportunities.
The Bucks have gone Under in 5 of their last 10 while Cleveland has gone Under in 4 of its last 6. The Cavs have held their opponent to 102 or fewer in 7 of their last 9 games. Their defense could get back on track Friday.
