Memphis Grizzlies vs Milwaukee Bucks Odds, Analysis & Prediction

The marquee matchup on the final Friday of the 2022-23 NBA regular season is a possible NBA Finals preview when the Memphis Grizzlies visit the Milwaukee Bucks, although key players on both sides might sit out because neither has anything to play for until the NBA playoffs.

Memphis vs Milwaukee | 2023 NBA Expert Analysis

How to Bet Grizzlies at Bucks NBA Odds & TV Info

When: Friday, 8 PM ET
Where: Fiserv Forum
TV: NBA TV
Stream: NBA.com, NBA TV app
Radio: Tunein.com

Season Series

The Grizzlies look for the sweep as they blew out the visiting Bucks 142-101 on Dec. 15 as Memphis never trailed and led by as many as 50. Ja Morant had 25 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Dillon Brooks added 18 points and Tyus Jones had 16 as eight Grizzlies scored in double figures. Milwaukee was held to 38 points in the paint, while Memphis had 86. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis led the Bucks with 19 points apiece before Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer emptied the bench late in the third quarter. The all-time series is tied 26-26 (Bucks lead 14-11 at home).

Why Bet on Memphis?

The Grizzlies are going to finish second in the West behind Denver. That means Memphis will face a play-in tournament winner in the first round of the playoffs next weekend.

Memphis rested star Ja Morant on Wednesday in the second of a back-to-back and lost 138-131 in OT, blowing a 19-point lead. The Grizzlies led for most of regulation and were up 101-89 in the fourth quarter when the Pelicans turned the game on its head with a 22-6 run. Memphis then forced overtime with a 6-0 run in the last five seconds. Jaren Jackson Jr. rebounded a missed free throw with 0.4 seconds left and was fouled. He hit two free throws to tie it 124-124 and send the game to OT.

Jackson Jr. finished with 40 points, nine rebounds, three assists and four blocks. The 40 points were three shy of his career-high, leading three Grizzlies starters with at least 24 points. He’s a Defensive Player of the Year candidate leading the NBA in blocks. Opponents are shooting 46.7% at the rim with Jackson Jr. as the closest defender (min. 300 FGA defended at rim). This is the lowest percentage allowed in the NBA this season by a wide margin and the second-lowest since tracking began in 2013-14 (Roy Hibbert 44.9% in 2013-14).

Dillon Brooks had 25 points and six rebounds Wednesday. He has now scored in double digits five games in a row and is averaging 18.8 points per contest while shooting 44.3 percent from the field in that span. Desmond Bane had 24 points, five assists and four rebounds before fouling out. Bane has scored at least 20 in eight straight games.

Starting big man Xavier Tillman also sat out the loss and his replacement, Santi Aldama, left with an elbow injury. Tillman might return Friday. He’s shooting 61.5% from the field this season, at one point making 14 consecutive field goals. His 29 starts this season are a career high.

The Grizzlies are the Southwest Division champions for the second straight season. They have reached 50 wins in a season for the sixth time in franchise history (and second straight season).

Bet Memphis to Win Today
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game

Why Bet on Milwaukee?

The Bucks will finish with the NBA’s best record and thus home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. This is the team’s home regular-season finale so maybe the starters will play some. Milwaukee comes off a 105-92 win over Chicago on Wednesday despite playing without superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo due to a knee injury. Nothing serious. Fellow All-Star Khris Middleton recorded one rebound in eight minutes before exiting Wednesday’s game early due to knee soreness. No way he’s playing again until the postseason.

Jrue Holiday had 20 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds. Holiday was responsible for 23 of Milwaukee’s 39 buckets through his scoring and facilitating. He now has five games with 15-plus assists in his career, with Wednesday’s being his first since 2020. Holiday is 10th in the NBA averaging 7.4 assists a game this season, which is on pace to be the highest assist average by a Buck since Sam Cassell in 2000-01 (7.6) and the eighth highest in franchise history.

Bobby Portis finished with 27 points and 13 rebounds while starting for Giannis. In three games this month, Portis Jr. is averaging 21.3 points and 12.7 rebounds and shooting 50% from the field and 61.9% from three. Wednesday was his 38th double-double of the season, which is ninth-most in the NBA this season.

Brook Lopez added 26 points on Wednesday for his fifth 20-point game in his last six games. Lopez now has 26 20-point games this season, which matches the 26 he had combined in his first four seasons with the Bucks. Nearly half (12) of Lopez’s 26 20-point games this season have now come in just 21 games since the All-Star break.

Wednesday was the 12th time this season that the Bucks have held their opponent to under 100 points, improving to 11-1 when doing so, and the league-high 42nd time allowing their opponent to shoot less than 45% from the field as the Bulls shot just 43.4% (now 39-3 in those games). Milwaukee heads into Friday’s game with the second-best defensive rating in the NBA at 110.5 while giving up the second-lowest FG% in the league (.454) this season.

The Bucks have found their groove over the last two months, having lost just five times since Jan. 23. In this stretch, the Bucks are 29-5.

Bet Milwaukee to Win Today
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game