Milwaukee Bucks vs. Brooklyn Nets Odds, Preview & Prediction
Online sports betting is launching in New York, which means you can place NBA bets in the Empire State this weekend! Check out all of the best sign-up offers via our New York Sportsbooks page, and make sure to take advantage of FanDuel’s pre-launch offer listed below! Now let’s take a look at Bucks vs. Nets odds for Friday, January 7, 2021.
Bucks vs. Nets Odds
| Bucks Odds | +4.5 |
| Nets Odds | -4.5 |
| Over/Under | 232.5 |
| Date | Friday, Jan. 7 |
| Time | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
On Friday night, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Brooklyn Nets will battle at the Barclays Center. Though this could be an Eastern Conference Finals preview, bettors will not get a true evaluation of each of these rosters with so many missing pieces. Milwaukee has already ruled out Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton, DeMarcus Cousins, Donte DiVincenzo, George Hill, Jrue Holiday, and Brook Lopez. Kyrie Irving and Joe Harris will be on the sidelines for Brooklyn in this one. Oddsmakers are anticipating the healthier team emerging victorious this evening, pricing the Nets as 4.5-point home favorites on the spread at online sportsbooks.
Milwaukee Bucks
Per Cleaning the Glass, when Jrue Holiday has been off of the floor this season, Milwaukee ranks in only the 27th percentile in offensive efficiency and the 36th percentile in defensive efficiency. It is also worth noting that Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton, and Jrue Holiday account for three of Milwaukee’s top four three-point shooters, in terms of attempts, on a nightly basis. Missing additional weapons from the perimeter could be problematic for a Bucks lineup that runs their offense primarily through the three-point line–attempting the fourth-most three-pointers of any team in the NBA.
Milwaukee enters play having lost back-to-back contests to the Detroit Pistons and the Toronto Raptors. Though the Bucks are unquestionably one of the most talented rosters in the league, their current missing pieces have had a clear negative impact on their performance in recent games. Eight of Milwaukee’s last nine victories have come against teams that are below .500, making it questionable as to how well they will be able to compete tonight against a strong Brooklyn team.
Brookly Nets
Kyrie Irving is ineligible to play in this contest, due to his unvaccinated status. Yet, the Nets are still one of the best teams in the NBA, even without Irving in the lineup. Entering play, Brooklyn owns the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 24-12. The Nets are healthier than almost any team in the league right now, with zero players in health and safety protocols, and only Joe Harris on the injury report, as he recovers from ankle surgery.
Per Cleaning the Glass, when the Nets have Kevin Durant, James Harden, Patty Mills, and LaMarcus Aldridge on the floor at the same time this year, Brooklyn is scoring a remarkable 126.4 points per 100 possessions, which has translated to a +15.4 Net Rating in a sample size of 451 possessions. Even without Irving on the floor, this is a potent offensive attack that should find plenty of success against a Milwaukee team missing their best perimeter defender in Holiday.
Picks and Prediction
Though this is a matchup between two elite teams in the Eastern Conference, Brooklyn has a decisive advantage tonight. The Nets are healthier and playing at home. Brooklyn also leads the NBA in opponent three-point percentage, which is only likely to amplify Milwaukee’s problems on the perimeter this evening with Allen, Connaughton, and Holiday on the sidelines. Brooklyn is a strong play on the spread.
If looking to attack the player prop market in this one, PrizePicks has “(player-popup #giannis-antetokounmpo)Giannis Antetokounmpo”:/players/giannis-antetokounmpo-16852’s prop listed at over/under 30.5 points. Per EdgHouse, Antetokounmpo has hit this number in four of his last five games played. Considering that this contest has the highest total on the market this evening, Antetokounmpo should have plenty of opportunities to eclipse this number once again. Take the over.
PICK: Nets -4.5
PROP BET: Giannis Antetokounmpo OVER 30.5 Points, PrizePicks
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