The Milwaukee Bucks will face the Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday in both teams’ final game of the regular season.
Milwaukee has been battling for the top seed in the Eastern Conference for most of the post-All-Star break season, whereas the Cavaliers have slowly fallen down the ladder and will be participating in the play-in tournament.
The game is set to tip off Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. With that in mind, let’s see how the Bucks and the Cavaliers stack up against each other so you can make your bets against their NBA Odds.
Basketball Preview for Milwaukee Bucks at Cleveland | NBA Betting Picks
Milwaukee Bucks Analysis
Normally, the Bucks would have the clear advantage in the impending matchup; however, because they are guaranteed a low seed in the playoffs, they will likely take the opportunity to rest or at least play their starters in fewer minutes during Sunday’s match. Granted, they still have an elite supporting cast but will not have their takeover players.
Regardless of who is on the court, the Bucks play solid defense, run in transition, and knock down open shots. The latest example of the depth of their team came in a win against the Chicago Bulls when Brook Lopez erupted for 28 points while Giannis Antetokounmpo was held to 18.
The odds will come down entirely to who suits up for the reigning NBA champions, but their depth makes them a solid bet either way.
Cleveland Cavaliers Analysis
The Cleveland Cavaliers were the surprise of the season before the Memphis Grizzlies started going off against everybody they played; unfortunately for native Ohioans and surviving LeBron fans, injuries have hampered their recent success and could ultimately doom their chances in the playoffs, which, if you had asked fans earlier in the season, would have been perceived as fairly high.
Rookie of the Year candidate Evan Mobley and starting center Jarrett Allen are out with injuries, leaving Lauri Markkanen and Moses Brown to hold down the fort as the starters.
Lamar Stephens is also out with an injury, which means that three normal bench players— two now in the starting lineup and one out of action— are no longer a part of Cleveland’s game plan. This has significantly reduced their punch late in quarters and when the team’s star, Darius Garland, is not on the court.
The Cavs still have something to play for because they want to protect their positioning in the play-in. If they drop a couple of games, they could fall into the 9/10 position and have to win two games to make it into the regular playoffs.
Betting Prediction
Again, it is hard to know exactly what to expect from this matchup because of the multitude of directions the Bucks could go in.
What is a near-guarantee is another outstanding performance from Garland, who has been playing the best basketball of his career as of late. It seems like the only thing that could slow him down right now is fatigue built up from carrying the offense on most nights.
All in all, the Bucks still get the nod as the better prospect because of their depth and potential, but that is far from guaranteed.
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