New York Knicks vs. Milwaukee Bucks Odds, Prediction, & Pick
Knicks vs. Bucks Odds
| Knicks Odds | +5.5 |
| Bucks Odds | -5.5 |
| Over/Under | 224 |
| Date | Fri, Nov. 3 |
| Time | 7:30 p.m. |
| TV | ESPN |
On Friday, the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament will get underway with a seven-game slate. The evening’s action is headlined by a matchup between the New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks, scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. ET tip-off from the Fiserv Forum. Ahead of tonight’s contest, oddsmakers have priced the Bucks as 5.5-point favorites on the spread. The total is set to over/under 224 points.
Below, we break down the matchup for both teams and offer a free pick for the betting community!
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New York Knicks
Knicks hoping to being tournament with upset victory
New York has only two wins in their first five games this season, but they still own the sixth-best point differential in the Eastern Conference and rank 12th overall in Net Rating. Similar to past seasons, the Knicks have been at their best on the glass, ranking fourth in the NBA in rebound percentage as of this writing. Both Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson are averaging double-digit rebounds per game this year, giving the Knicks two of the league’s top-14 rebounders.
Tonight, New York will once again look to use their size and physicality to their advantage, facing a Milwaukee team that ranks 24th in rebound percentage through four games.
RJ Barrett listed as QUESTIONABLE
RJ Barrett is listed as questionable for tonight’s action, per the official NBA injury report. Barrett missed Wednesday’s game against the Cavaliers due to a sore left knee. If Barrett is unable to go on Friday, Jalen Brunson could be in for an expanded workload.
According to RotoGrinders CourtIQ, Grimes averaged 28.1 points per 36 minutes of action last year when Barrett was not on the floor. He sees the largest increase in usage of any New York player when Barrett is absent. On Wednesday, Brunson had 24 points on 23 shot attempts against Cleveland.
Milwaukee Bucks
Damian Lillard, Bucks struggling to find early season rhythm
When Damian Lillard was traded to the Bucks this past summer, many pundits immediately put them on a short list of potential teams to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals next June. However, life has been far from smooth sailing out of the gate.
Lillard, who averaged 32.2 points per game last year is only averaging 21.3 points per game on 40.0% shooting in his first four games with his new team. His 29.0% shooting percentage from beyond the arc would be a career-worst for a full season. Giannis Antetokounmpo has seen his production regress across the board as well, averaging 6.6 fewer points per game, 3.3 fewer rebounds per game, and 3.2 fewer assists per game.
Overall, Milwaukee ranks 24th in Net Rating this season and is coming off of a 19-point loss to the Raptors earlier this week.
Who will step up for Milwaukee?
Undoubtedly, part of the issue for Milwaukee early this season has been a lack of production outside of their top two players. Though Antetokounmpo and Lillard have struggled out of the gate, they are still averaging significantly more points than anyone else on the team.
Bobby Portis and Malik Beasley are each averaging 12.0 points per game this year, followed by Brook Lopez at 10.8 points. Khris Middleton has been a tremendous disappointment, playing only 16.7 minutes per game and shooting 36.8% from the field.
The Bucks will need more production from their role players if they hope to contend for the NBA Cup or any postseason honors this year.
New York Knicks vs. Milwaukee Bucks Prediction
Knicks +5.5 (-110)
New York is not an elite team, but there are more than a few convincing arguments that they are the better team in this matchup, at least right now. Entering play on Friday, the Knicks have the second-best defensive efficiency of any team in the league, in addition to ranking fourth in rebound percentage. Milwaukee ranks 29th in defensive efficiency and 24th in rebound percentage through their first four games.
Milwaukee has not been receiving elite-level production from their stars, and their painful lack of depth down the roster has only exacerbated those problems. Even if RJ Barrett is unable to take the floor this evening, New York should be able to keep this game competitive, at a minimum. The road underdogs could be live on the moneyline as well.