It would be more of a marquee game between the Milwaukee Bucks and Portland Trail Blazers at 10 p.m. ET Saturday had Damian Lillard not gotten injured last month. Milwaukee is favored at -8.5 with an over/under of 226.5 as lines opened Friday night.
The Bucks (32-21) are beginning their West coast road trip after three days off. They are expected to be without Brook Lopez (back) but could have Grayson Allen (ankle) and/or George Hill (neck) in the fold, who are questionable.
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is without Lillard (abdominal), Nassir Little (shoulder), Cody Zeller (knee), and Larry Nance Jr. (knee). Lillard’s injury has opened the door for Anfernee Simons to step up.
His fourth season has seen a breakthrough, starting his last 16 games. With 15 of those in January, he averaged 23.1 points, 6.7 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game on shooting splits of .460/.427/.881. He’s been the lone bright spot for an otherwise disappointing season for a 21-31 start.
It’s unclear if the Trail Blazers will have Eric Bledsoe or Justise Winslow, whom they acquired via trade with the Clippers Friday. They will be without Robert Covington and Norman Powell. Bledsoe should be a solid backup addition in Lillard’s absence and, should Portland make a run, could be a key piece if they can get into playoff contention.
Portland has lost four straight, both straight up and against the spread. If anything helps them, it’s the Moda Center crowd, where the Trail Blazers are 14-13. But they are below average on both ends of the court, ranking 20th in scoring at 107.8 points per game and 26th in points allowed per game at 111.8 points per game.
Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee has been strong at home but is 13-12 on the road. Despite a great record and competing atop the Eastern Conference, they are 23-30 against the spread and over/unders. Never mind the fact they are seventh in scoring (111.8 points per game) and league average in defensive scoring (108.6 points against per game).
Though their average scoring defense has more to do with pace as they’re top-10 in efficiency: sixth in field goal percentage 44.3%, eighth in 3-point percentage 34.2%, and fourth in free throw percentage 75.2%.
The Bucks have played without a piece of their core for a chunk of the season. But Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday are finally healthy, and Milwaukee continues to grind its way in a tough Central Division. Both Chicago and Cleveland have equal or better records so far.
Antetokounmpo has himself firmly in the MVP conversation, averaging 28.9 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game with an efficient 53.6% conversion rate from the field. He’s surrounded by strong 3-point shooters as the team is ninth in the league at a 35.9% clip.
Betting Pick
Portland, by the way, is 21-30-1 against the spread and 25-26-1 against over/unders. With their new acquisitions in question and down two key players familiar with the system, it’s hard to bet on them even with a large number.
Betting Pick: Milwaukee -8.50
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