NBA Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Eastern Conference rivals will compete for the third time this season, as the Milwaukee Bucks (14-11) aim to land their first win on the Cleveland Cavaliers (23-4) on Friday, December 20 at 7:30 PM ET at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. This NBA betting opportunity shows the Cavs favored with a point spread at -4.5 (-115).
Milwaukee Bucks Betting Preview
The Bucks are seeking their fifth straight win, which is a big improvement compared to a month ago. Their most recent successful battle was a 97-81 outing over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Cup Championship.
Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded a strong triple-double with 26 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists. While their offense never recorded over 30 points in a quarter, their defense held the Thunder to less than 20 points in both the third and fourth quarters.
They shot 42.0 percent from the field and made 42.5 percent of their threes. Their defense held the Thunder to 33.7 percent shooting from the field and just 15.6 percent from deep. This was a huge attribute to their success.
The Bucks are putting up 113.3 points a game and are currently sitting at 14th in the league. On the defensive end, they hold opposing teams to 111.9 points a game, ranking 12th. This spread will need some work, but should change if they stay healthy.
Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview
The Cavs have won their last two games and are having a terrific season thus far. Their latest win was a 130-101 performance over the Brooklyn Nets. They only failed to score over 30 points in a quarter just once, with it being the fourth.
Evan Mobley led with 21 points and shot 77.7 percent from the field. Georges Niang had a great performance off the bench with 17 points and nine rebounds, as well as Caris LeVert having 19 points in 19 minutes of action.
They made 53.1 percent of their field goals and 40.4 percent from deep. The defense was able to slow the Nets to 42.0 percent shooting and 41.2 percent from three point range. Turnovers are still an issue, as the Cavs had 17 and will need to dial this down a bit against the Bucks.
The Cavs are second in the league for averaging 121.5 points a game and are 11th in allowing 110.9 points from opponents. This is a great margin of victory, but tough to keep up with turnovers against solid teams.
Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick
MyBookie has the Milwaukee Bucks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers betting odds available, showing the Cavs as 4.5-point favorites. According to market predictions, the Cavs have a 73.4 percent chance of winning.
The Bucks are bound to land a win at some point on the Cavs, especially with recent momentum from the NBA Cup. However, the Cavs have yet to show weaknesses that would prove otherwise.
Final Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers -4.5 (-115)
