The defending champions Golden State Warriors take the road and travel to Wisconsin to face the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday at the Fiserv Forum.
Both these teams are 3-2 in their last two games but the Warriors enter this game on a two game winning streak while the Bucks are looking for back to back wins for the first time since November 22nd.
The Warriors will have revenge on mind when they take the court on Friday. It can be recalled that Milwaukee beat Golden State 134-111 at the Oracle Arena last November 8th in what is one of the Dubs’ worst losses of the season. Stephen Curry missed most of the second half of that game after suffering the groin injury that sidelined him for the next 11 games. Curry has since returned and has torched the nets by scoring 33.0 points per game while making 54% of his three point baskets.
The defending champions are the third highest scoring team in the league at 116.8 points per game. They also lead the NBA in total assists at 27.9 per game. On defense, the Dubs rank just 15th in rebounding at 45.5 boards per contest. Golden State is allowing 111.2 points per game which is ranked 19th among 30 NBA teams.
Golden State Warriors vs Milwaukee Bucks 12/7/18
Moneyline Odds: Warriors +103, Bucks -123
Odds from gtbets.eu as of 12/7/18
The Milwaukee Bucks are off to an auspicious start this season. At 16-7, Milwaukee is currently the second best team in the Eastern Conference behind the 21-5 Toronto Raptors. Curiously, the Bucks will immediately travel after facing the Warriors as they are due for a Sunday showdown with the Raptors in Toronto. But first things first for Milwaukee and the Dubs are a handful despite the slew of injuries to key players that have hit the champs.
The Bucks are the top scoring team in the NBA this season at 121.1 points per game. They rank 2nd in the league in assists with their 27.3 per game average. Milwaukee is also the league’s top rebounding team, hauling down an average of 50.3 boards per contest. On defense, the Bucks are giving up 110.4 points per game which is ranked 14th overall.
These teams have played each other a total of 136 times during the regular season. The Bucks lead their all-time series 82-54. The Warriors have won 8 out of the last 11 meetings between these teams but Milwaukee has taken the last two, including last month’s blowout victory.
When the Bucks massacred the Warriors last month, the Dubs played without Draymond Green. Green is out of action again and while that may be a cause of concern, the Dubs can take solace in the fact that Steph Curry is back in action and is back in MVP form. The Warriors lost their first game with Curry back but they’ve won two in a row since losing to the Pistons and they did so in typical Golden State fashion. The Dubs won by 17 and 24 points and scored 128 and 129 points, respectively to announce they are back.
The Bucks may be playing better right now but these are the Warriors who have won three out of the last four NBA championships. With Curry back, the Warriors have been playing with a different kind of confidence. They’ve been looking for games that are going to challenge them. With payback in mind, this is one of them.
We’re picking the Golden State Warriors to beat the Milwaukee Bucks on 12/7/18.
The Warriors are only 12-14 ATS in 26 games played this season. The champs are also just 5-8 ATS in 13 road games played. On the other hand, the Bucks are 12-10-1 ATS in 23 games played this season. Milwaukee is a solid 9-4-1 ATS in 14 home games played so far this season. Head to head, the Bucks are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games against the Warriors.
Golden State Warriors vs Milwaukee Bucks 12/7/18
Spread Odds: Warriors +1.5 (-109), Bucks -1.5 (109)
Odds from gtbets.eu as of 12/7/18
The Bucks are 10-4-1 ATS in their last 15 home games but are just 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall. However, the Dubs are also just 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games played and 2-6 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a winning record. Usually I’d go with the home team in a pick ‘em game but when one team has the pedigree of the Warriors, I can’t say no to the champs.
Prediction: Warriors +1.5
The over is 15-11 in Golden State’s 26 games this season. The total has also gone over in 9 out of their 13 road games played so far. Meanwhile, the total has gone over in 15 out of the 23 games played by the Bucks this season. The over is also 9-5 in 14 home games played by Milwaukee. Head to head, the total has gone over is two out of their last three meetings.
Golden State Warriors vs Milwaukee Bucks 12/7/18
Over/Under Odds: Over 239 -109, Under 239 -109
Odds from gtbets.eu as of 12/7/18/p>
When you have the #1 and #3 scoring team in the league facing each other, you’ve got to think about going over. The over has hit in six out of the last seven games for the Dubs. The over is also 6-2 in the Bucks’ last eight games versus Western Conference teams. And oh, don’t forget they combined for 245 points last month.
Prediction: Over 239
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