Milwaukee Bucks vs New Orleans Pelicans 02/04/20 NBA Betting Odds and Preview

The Milwaukee Bucks visit the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on Tuesday night.

Milwaukee ended their three-game homestand with a victory over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night. The Bucks got back on the winning track after the Houston Rockets ended their nine-game winning streak. Milwaukee has not lost back to back games this season. The New Orleans Pelicans meanwhile, had their three-game winning streak ended by the Rockets too on Sunday. New Orleans has won six out of their last 10 games played and they have looked better since Zion Williamson returned to action.

Back to Their Winning Ways

After their nine-game winning streak was halted by the Denver Nuggets, the Milwaukee Bucks are back to their winning ways. The team with the best record in the league posted a 129-108 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. With the win, the Bucks improved their NBA-best record to 42.7 on the season.

Reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points and grabbed 19 rebounds to lead Milwaukee against New Orleans. Fellow All-Star Khris Middleton added 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists while Brook Lopez contributed 17 points for the Bucks who shot 15-38 from behind the three-point arc.

Milwaukee is the top-scoring team in the NBA this season at 120.0 points per game. They are also the league’s top rebounding team at 51.7 boards pulled down per contest and are ranked 4th in passing at 46.3 assists per game. The Bucks are also 9th in scoring defense at 107.6 points per game allowed.

Three Game Win Streak Snapped

New Orleans had their three-game winning streak snapped by the Houston Rockets last Sunday as James Harden scored 40 points and was one assist away from a triple-double. Despite the loss, the Pelicans have won six out of their last 10 games and have been playing much better since the return on Zion Williamson.

The top overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft missed the start of the season with a knee injury but since his return, New Orleans has received a shot in the arm. The Pelicans have not been outscored whenever he is on the court. Williamson has an offensive rating of 116.3 and a defensive rating of 101.4 or a 14.9 differential. Zion scored 21 points and 10 rebounds during their loss to the Rockets.

New Orleans is ranked 6th in the league in scoring at 115.1 points per game this season. They are 6th overall in rebounding at 46.4 boards hauled per contest and are 8th in passing at 25.7 assists per contest. The Pelicans are 28th in scoring defense at 117.1 points per game allowed this season.

Who Wins?

Milwaukee is 10-1 SU in their last 11 games played. The Bucks are 5-0 SU in their last five games played on the road. New Orleans is 13-7 SU in their last 20 games played. The Pelicans are 3-3 SU in their last six games played at home, and 6-1 SU in their last seven games against the Eastern Conference. Head to head, the Bucks have won the last three meetings between these two teams but the Pelicans are 15-2 SU in their last 17 home games against Milwaukee.

The Bucks have been the most consistent team in the league this season and they have put up several long winning streaks throughout the first half of the 2019-20 NBA season. Giannis Antetokounmpo has looked like a man on a mission and he is enjoying the support of fellow All-Star Khris Middleton plus his team has a deep bench.

New Orleans has looked better since the arrival of Zion Williamson. New Orleans had a three-game winning streak and looked like they were ready to upset the Rockets the last time out. Even if they lost that game, New Orleans showed that they can go toe to toe with the best offensive teams in the league.

Milwaukee though is the top-scoring team this season. What makes them hard to stop is the fact that they have so many weapons. Giannis is just the center point of the offense but Mike Budenholzer has many players who can complement the Greek Freak. The Bucks are a solid 19-4 on the road this season while the Pelicans are just 10-15 at home this year.

Prediction: Milwaukee Bucks

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Other Bets to Make

The Bucks are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games played. Milwaukee is 3-1 ATS in their last four games played on the road, and 8-4 ATS in their last 12 February games. The Pelicans are 15-4-1 ATS in their last 20 games played. New Orleans is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games played at home. Head to head, the Pelicans are 4-2 ATS in their last six games played against the Bucks.

The Bucks have won the last three meetings between these two teams by an average winning margin of 13.33 points per game. Milwaukee is playing at another level right now and they are playing at full strength. The Pelicans are better with Zion but with New Orleans still cautious about his minutes, I like the Bucks to win this game and cover the spread.

Prediction: Bucks -6.5

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The total has gone over in five out of the Bucks’ last seven games against the Western Conference. The over is 5-4-1 in Milwaukee’s last 10 games overall, and 5-0 in their last five games against the Southwest Division. The total has gone over in 13 out of the last 17 games played by the Pelicans. New Orleans has seen the total go over in four out of their last five games against the Central Division. The over is 4-2 in their last six February games. Head to head, the total has gone over in eight out of the last 10 meetings between these two teams, including 7-0 in their last seven encounters.

The Bucks are the only team in the NBA to average at least 120 points per game this season. They will be facing a leaky Pelicans team that is in the Bottom 5 in scoring defense. Moreover, the Pelicans are the 6th highest-scoring team in the league this season so this one should be a track meet of points.

Prediction: Over 243

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