NBA Lines & Expert Analysis for Bucks vs Pelicans in a potential Finals preview

Off a completely crushing home loss to the Lakers, the Milwaukee Bucks look to get on the right track Thursday in a national TV matchup and potential NBA Finals preview at the New Orleans Pelicans. Giannis Antetokounmpo & Co. opened as short favorites on the NBA odds. 2024 NBA Expert Analysis Milwaukee vs New Orleans | MyBookie Sportsbook NBA Week 23

How to Bet Bucks at Pelicans NBA Odds & TV Info

When: Thursday, 8 PM ET
Where: Smoothie King Center
TV: NBA TV
Stream: NBA.com, NBA TV app
Radio: Tunein.com NBA Odds: Bucks -2 (total 226)

Bucks vs Pelicans First Meeting

Milwaukee goes for the season sweep as it trounced the visiting Pelicans 141-117 on Jan. 27. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points and 12 rebounds as one of four Bucks with at least 20 points – but Khris Middleton was out. Milwaukee led by as many as 34 and shot 56% from the field. After Jae Crowder’s 3-pointer broke a 17-all tie with 5:07 left in the first quarter, the Bucks stayed ahead the rest of the way. That was the last game as interim head coach for Joe Prunty with Doc Rivers since having taken over. Brandon Ingram scored 26 points and Zion Williamson had 23 for the Pelicans. Jonas Valanciunas added 13 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. A win Thursday would give the Bucks their fourth season sweep over the Pels in the past six seasons.

Why Bet on Milwaukee Bucks?

The Milwaukee Bucks have had some perplexing losses this season but perhaps none more than Tuesday’s 128-124 double-OT home loss to the Lakers – who trailed by 19 in the fourth quarter and didn’t have LeBron James for the game due to minor injury. Austin Reaves had 29 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in 47 minutes for LA, which never led in regulation. Anthony Davis provided 34 points and 23 rebounds while playing 52 minutes despite dealing with a knee problem late in the game.

“A 20-point lead in this league now, it’s nothing because of the way the offense is right now in the league, so high-powered that you can wipe away a lead pretty fast,” Davis said.

After blowing a 94-75 lead in the final 8 minutes, 25 seconds of regulation, the Bucks had a chance to win it at the end of regulation when Khris Middleton lobbed an inbound pass to Giannis Antetokounmpo. But as Antetokounmpo tried to spin around Davis, he lost his balance. He recovered in time to catch the ball, but his only attempt at a shot was a creative layup attempt. It fell off the rim.

“Yeah, I don’t know,” Antetokounmpo said. “I think Khris threw the ball. I went up to get the ball. I really don’t want to get fined. I went up to get the ball. For some reason I wasn’t able to get the ball and wasn’t able to end the game.”

The Bucks shot 17 free throws as a team, making 11 (64.7%). The Lakers, by contrast, were a remarkable 30 of 32 overall from the free throw line (93.8%).

Giannis finished with 29 points, a season-high 21 rebounds and 11 assists for his ninth triple-double of the season. He fell one point shy of his first 30/20 game since January 4, 2023. From the fourth quarter onward, Antetokounmpo was held to just three buckets, however. He also had a rough night from the foul line, going 1-of-6. Antetokounmpo has struggled there since returning from a hamstring issue that sidelined him for two games. Over his past three games, Giannis is 7-of-16 from the foul line.

Damian Lillard shot 9-of-29 from the field to finish with 27 points, eight assists and five rebounds in 49 minutes. Lillard had a tough night from beyond the arc, shooting 3-of-14 before fouling out late in double-overtime. Lillard posted his 34th game of the year with at least 25 points, although that number pales in comparison to his 44 games with 25-plus points last year.

Sixth man Bobby Portis had 18 points and 13 rebounds. Portis and Antetokounmpo combined to account for 55.7 percent of Milwaukee’s rebounds as a team, although Los Angeles still won the rebounding battle 69 to 61. Portis has five double-doubles since the All-Star break and is averaging 16.4 points and 8.6 rebounds in that span.

Guard Patrick Beverley was out Tuesday for the Bucks and has a torn ligament in his right wrist that will require surgery. If he has it, Beverley’s season is over. In 19 appearances with the Bucks, Beverley holds averages of 5.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists. He’s mostly there for defense.

Khris Middleton continues to deal with an ankle issue, but he’ll likely be able to suit up for the fifth time over the past six games Thursday as he’s probable. Across his last four appearances he’s averaged 16.8 points, 7.5 assists and 6.3 rebounds in 31.0 minutes per game.

Bet Milwaukee to Win
Daily Line NBA Men

Why Bet on New Orleans Pelicans?

New Orleans had a two-game winning streak snapped Tuesday in a 119-112 home loss to Oklahoma City as the Thunder closed the game on a 12-0 run. Trey Murphy III’s 28-foot 3 and McCollum’s driving floater gave New Orleans a 112-107 lead with 3:11 left. But the Pelicans did not score again, missing their final five shots.

“We were kind of stagnant and I definitely got to demand the ball more in those situations,” said Zion Williamson, who did not have a shot in the final three minutes. Zion finished with 29 points, 10 assists and five rebounds but also five turnovers. Williamson led all players with 26 true possessions but it’s troubling that Williamson did not score in the final six minutes.

Still, since March 1, Zion is ranked 1st in field goal percentage in the NBA, shooting 63.0% from the field (min. 10 FGA per game). He is second in the league in points in the paint per game this season, averaging 17.5 PITP in that span. Overall, he is one of three NBA players to average 22-plus points and shoot .570 or better from the field this season.

Center Jonas Valanciunas logged six points and six rebounds in just 10 minutes. Valanciunas did not play in the second half despite being healthy with coach Willie Green turning to Larry Nance and small-ball lineups with Williamson at center to combat Chet Holmgren and Oklahoma City’s spacing-oriented offense. Valanciunas will likely be more incorporated Thursday against Milwaukee. He has 31 double-doubles on the season, which is ranked 15th in the NBA.

CJ McCollum finished with 23 points and was 4-for-11 from deep. He is the only player in the NBA to average 18-plus points, 1.6 or less turnovers per game and shooting 40% or better from three-point range this season. The Pelicans are now 23-3 when McCollum scores 20-plus points in a game.

Forward Brandon Ingram remains out for New Orleans and excellent backup guard Jose Alvarado exited in the fourth quarter Tuesday with an apparent hip or back injury and didn’t return. He recorded eight points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal in 16 minutes. Over the course of the season, the Pelicans’ bench has been dominating their opponents. New Orleans’ bench is ranked 1st in steals per game (3.7) and is ranked 2nd in plus/minus (plus-2.6).

Since the new year, New Orleans is ranked 2nd in the league in net rating (7.2), 5th in offensive rating (118.2) and 5th in defensive rating (111.0).

Bet New Orleans to Win
Daily Line NBA Men

Bucks vs Pelicans Expert Prediction

Pelicans 116, Bucks 112

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