A pair of struggling Eastern Conference powers look to end losing streaks on Wednesday night, but since games can’t end in ties, one of them is going to walk off the court reeling into the rematch which will be played in the same venue on Thursday night.
Raptors at Bucks picks and predictions will weigh how resilient these teams figure to be since they’ve each been .500 teams over their last 10 games. In Toronto’s case, it has won just five of its last 11 and was tied in the loss column with the Knicks, Hornets, Heat, and Bulls in the race for the final few playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks are second behind the 76ers but have already lost more games through the first 27 than they did last season through the first 63.
Milwaukee Bucks Vs. Toronto Raptors
- Time/Venue: 8:05 p.m. ET, Fiserv Forum
- TV: Fox Sports Wisconsin
Bucks Vs. Raptors Odds
| BetRivers Sportsbook | Point Spread | Moneyline | Totals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Bucks | -5.5 (-110) | -230 | O 234.5 (-108) |
| Toronto Raptors | +5.5 (-110) | +188 | U 234.5 (-113) |
Bucks Current Form And Betting Results
Milwaukee lost three consecutive contests just before the 2019-20 season went on pause and fell into a 3-0 hole in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Heat before being eliminated in five games, but hasn’t dropped four straight since the 2019 playoffs. If you don’t remember, that happened against the then Kawhi Leonard-led Raptors, which won four in a row to advance to the NBA Finals after falling behind 2-0 in the Eastern Conference finals.
A loss here would match Milwaukee’s longest regular-season losing streak since March 2018, back before Giannis Antetokounmpo had ever won an MVP and with Joe Prunty serving as interim head coach after Jason Kidd was fired. In other words, it’s been a long time since the Bucks have suffered through this poor stretch.
Raptors at Bucks picks and predictions will have to take into account that Milwaukee will be playing its first home game since Feb. 3, having just returned home from a season-long six-game road trip that opened with a pair of blowout victories in Cleveland and a solid win in Denver. The Bucks then blew a second-half lead down the stretch and wasted a dominant Antetokounmpo effort in a 125-124 loss in Phoenix before being blown out in Utah and suffering a puzzling 114-109 loss to depleted Oklahoma City as a 12-point favorite on Valentine’s Day. The Bucks betting outlook has been all over the place. Milwaukee opened February with six consecutive ATS covers but has failed to cash in consecutive games. It went 6-8 against the number in January.
Raptors Current Form And Betting Results
Toronto knew coming in that this was going to face unique challenges since Canada’s COVID-19 guidelines drove the team out of its home at ScotiaBank Arena. Earlier this month, the announcement was made that it would spend the entire 2020-21 season with Tampa Bay’s Amalie Arena, home of the NHL’s Lightning, as its home base.
The Raps have lost three of their last four in Tampa and are just 6-6 there, but they’ve been even worse in true road games, losing nine of their first 15. Raptors betting trends have seen the ‘over’ become a consistent winner in games involving the 2018-19 NBA champs. Toronto’s most recent upset loss to the Timberwolves ended a run where the high side had cashed in eight consecutive Raptors’ games. Minnesota won 116-112 and the closing number wrapped at 228.5 at most books, including William Hill.
Nick Nurse’s Raptors had won and covered four of five games in which they were favored prior to dropping the ball on Valentine’s Day against the Timberwolves, who cashed as high as +300 (3-to-1) at FanDuel in snapping a four-game skid.
Betting Line Analysis
The Bucks are a 5.5-point favorite at BetRivers, BetMGM, and most other books with the total ranging from 234 to 235.5 depending on where you shop.
Raptors at Bucks betting odds should see an increased fluctuation on this total since both have been involved in higher-scoring games since last seeing one another for their first meeting this season, a 115-108 Milwaukee win down in Tampa. The figure for that over-under on Jan. 27 ended up closing at 228 at DraftKings and 229 at FanDuel, coming in posted below the posted total at all books.
The Raptors vs. Bucks betting line was set anywhere from six to seven points, so many wagers ended up pushing on the side. Bettors who got the Bucks laying less than seven prevailed when Antetokounmpo slammed in a meaningless basket with three-tenths of a second remaining, resulting in a horrible beat for those on Toronto, which actually led after the first minute of the fourth quarter.
Despite struggling this season, the Raptors will be an underdog on Tuesday for just the eighth time in their 24 games in 2021. Toronto has won just two of those games outright and has covered the spread three times.
Injuries/Rotational Adjustments To Watch
The Bucks will remain without point guard Jrue Holiday, who will miss his fifth straight contest due to health and safety protocols. There’s a chance that he’ll return for Thursday’s rematch but Mike Budenholzer will have to figure out how to replace his top perimeter defender, who was invaluable against Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet while also spending some time against Pascal Siakam. Shooter Bryn Forbes has been starting at guard alongside Donte DiVincenzo in Holiday’s absence and has largely fared well before the meltdown at OKC produced Milwaukee’s third-lowest scoring output of 2021.
The Raptors have been without starting forward OG Anunoby for their last 10 contests due to a calf injury and is listed as ‘doubtful’ to return on Tuesday night. Backup wing Yuta Watanabe (ankle) has also missed the past few games and is listed as ‘questionable.’ Raptors at Bucks picks and predictions must take into account that Anunoby’s defense will undoubtedly be missed against the “Greek Freak” and fellow All-Star Khris Middleton, but replacement Norman Powell is an upgrade on the offensive end. Point guard Kyle Lowry is playing through an ankle issue.
Raptors At Bucks Handicapping Notes And Pick
While Pascal Siakam’s length and athleticism is an asset against Antetokounmpo, Toronto can’t expose him as much as it ordinarily would on the defensive end with Anunoby likely out again. Not having Holiday against a Raptors offense that has been cooking likely means we’ll see a faster pace since Toronto won’t have to deal with his on-ball pressure. There’s a reason this total is significantly higher for this second meeting. Personnel dictates we should see a high-scoring affair.
Pick: Over
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