Bucks vs Pelicans NBA Odds, Preview & Prediction.

Bucks vs Pelicans NBA Odds, Preview & Prediction

Written by on March 12, 2019

Two of the five best players in the NBA will be on display Tuesday night – assuming they both play – in the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and the New Orleans Pelicans’ Anthony Davis. Behind the Greek Freak, the Bucks have the NBA’s best record and are NBA odds favorites.

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Season Series

Bucks lead 1-0, winning 123-115 at home on Dec. 19. Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded 25 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and one block. Malcolm Brogdon added 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals, while Khris Middleton added 14 points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals.

For New Orleans, Anthony Davis scored a game-high 27 points to go with 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and three blocks. Jrue Holiday (currently injured) registered 25 points, 12 assists, five rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. Darius Miller added 20 points while connecting on 6-of-11 (.545) three-point field goals.

Alvin Gentry is 21-10 (.677) all-time against Milwaukee. Bucks Coach Mike Budenholzer is 6-5 (.545) all-time against New Orleans.

Why Bet on Milwaukee?

The Bucks have lost back-to-back games just once this season and look to avoid it here as they are off a 121-114 loss in San Antonio on Sunday. LaMarcus Aldridge had 29 points and 15 rebounds, DeMar DeRozan added 28 points and the Spurs overcame a 15-point deficit in the first quarter. It was the second of a back-to-back for the Bucks so they may have just run out of gas. San Antonio outscored Milwaukee 33-23 in the third quarter and opened the fourth on a 10-1 run to solidify control of the game.

Giannis Antetokounmpo racked up 27 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, one block, and one 3-pointer in the loss. The Spurs game-planned for the MVP front runner and did a good job containing him. Antetokounmpo was limited to 13 points in the second half on 5-for-9 shooting as the Spurs sent multiple defenders at the Bucks’ 6-foot-11 star.

Malcolm Brogdon was very quiet on Sunday with five points on 2-of-10 shooting. Nikola Mirotic had 10 points, four rebounds, one assist and a pair of 3-pointers in 21 minutes off the bench. Pat Connaughton finished Sunday’s loss at San Antonio with 14 points, three boards and one steal in 25 minutes. Sterling Brown (wrist) was out again, and Connaughton has gained the most without Brown or George Hill (groin) in the bench rotation.

The Bucks’ 49.3 rebounds per game this season is on pace to be the highest by any team in the NBA since Denver in 1990-91 (49.4). This is the first 50-win season for Milwaukee since 2000-01 and just the second in the last 30 years. Overall this is the Bucks’ 14th 50-win season in franchise history.

Team Stats

Offense
  • Total Score: 117.45
  • Field Goal Percentage: 47.68
  • Three-Point Percentage: 35.22
  • Free Throw Percentage: 77.22
  • Total Rebounds: 49.30

Defense

  • Total Score: 108.36
  • Field Goal Percentage: 43.38
  • Three-Point Percentage: 35.98
  • Free Throw Percentage: 74.11
  • Total Rebounds: 44.67

Why Bet on New Orleans?

The Pels lost their third straight on Sunday, 128-116 in Atlanta. New Orleans led by 12 points in the second period and 66-65 at halftime before trailing most of the second half.

Elfrid Payton had his second triple-double of the season in the loss, scoring 15 points with 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Payton isn’t scoring a ton (10.2 points in six games so far this month), but he’s really getting it done in rebounds and assists, with 6.8 boards and 7.5 assists so far in March.

Bucks vs Pelicans can be a close battle.

Anthony Davis (back) returned to action on Sunday, finishing with 15 points, eight rebounds, four assists, one steal, four blocks, and three 3s in 21 minutes. The four blocks were the most he’s had in a game since early January. Davis has averaged 15.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 3.0 blocks and 1.3 triples in his four games so far this month. He’s not playing the fourth quarter of games.

Frank Jackson played well in the loss, finishing with 23 points, six rebounds, two assists and three 3s on 10-of-18 shooting. It was the second straight game of 20-plus points for the 20-year-old guard. Center Jahlil Okafor, who was listed as questionable with a right ankle sprain, had four points in about eight minutes.

Coach Alvin Gentry said guards Jrue Holiday (lower abdomen strain) and G E’Twaun Moore (left quadriceps contusion) will miss “another eight or nine days.” Jackson and Payton are getting more minutes with those guys sidelined.

Team Stats

Offense
  • Total Score: 115.62
  • Field Goal Percentage: 47.62
  • Three-Point Percentage: 34.83
  • Free Throw Percentage: 76.47
  • Total Rebounds: 47.04

Defense

  • Total Score: 115.38
  • Field Goal Percentage: 46.56
  • Three-Point Percentage: 36.26
  • Free Throw Percentage: 75.40
  • Total Rebounds: 45.03

Bucks vs Pelicans NBA Betting Trends

  • Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in New Orleans
  • Underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings
  • Road team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings
  • Milwaukee is 10-3 ATS in its last 13 games on the road
  • Milwaukee is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games on the road
  • The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee’s last 5 games on the road
  • New Orleans is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
  • New Orleans is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games when playing Milwaukee
  • The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Orleans’s last 5 games when playing Milwaukee

Final Score Prediction for Bucks vs Pelicans

Milwaukee Bucks 121 – New Orleans Pelicans 115