Portland Trail Blazers vs Milwaukee Bucks Betting Pick & Prediction 1/4/25

At 8:00 ET, the Milwaukee Bucks (-702) will host the Portland Trail Blazers (+495) in a non-conference matchup. The Bucks are favored by 12 points, and the over/under line is set at 227.

Portland is currently 13th in the Western Conference with a record of 11-22. They have lost two straight games. The Bucks are 5th in the East at 17-15. This game will be played at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee and can be seen on KATU.

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS VS MILWAUKEE BUCKS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Portland Trail Blazers +12

This game will be played at Fiserv Forum at 8:00 ET on Saturday, January 4th.

WHY BET THE PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 142-140 in favor of the Bucks.
  • Our projections have Giannis Antetokounmpo finishing with 30 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists.
  • From the field, we have the Bucks finishing with a field goal percentage of 47.7% and knocking down 17 threes.

Can the Trail Blazers Pull the Upset on the Road?

Portland’s season continued to struggle as they fell to 11-22 after a 114-106 loss to the Lakers on Thursday. The Blazers were +7 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The game’s total of 220 points came in just under the O/U line of 225.

Portland started strong, leading 31-27 after the 1st quarter, but a poor 2nd quarter saw them outscored 33-20. They entered the 4th quarter down 88-75 and, despite a 31-point effort in the final period, couldn’t complete the comeback.

In their 114-106 loss to the Lakers, the Trail Blazers shot 50% from the field, but made just 9 threes at a 34.6% clip. Anfernee Simons led the way with 23 points, hitting 4 threes at 44.4% efficiency.

Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe each added 19 points, with Avdija shooting 57.1% from the floor. Simons scored 11 points in the 4th quarter, while Sharpe put up 11 in the 1st.

Defensively, the Trail Blazers gave up 114 points to the Lakers, with their toughest stretch in the 2nd quarter, where they allowed 33 points. They managed to tighten up in the 4th, holding the Lakers to 26 points.

Portland allowed 15 threes on 34% shooting from deep. They sent the Lakers to the line 14 times, where they hit 13 free throws. The Blazers also gave up 15 offensive rebounds while recording 6 steals and 4 blocks.

Can the Bucks Secure a Win at Home?

The Bucks fell to 17-15 this season after a 113-110 home loss to the Nets on Thursday. Milwaukee, who were -12.5 point favorites, failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game ended at 223, just under the O/U line of 223.5.

Brooklyn went on a 10-0 run to cut the Bucks’ lead from 73-56 to 73-66. Despite Milwaukee outscoring the Nets 25-19 in the 4th quarter, they couldn’t complete the comeback.

In their 113-110 loss to the Nets, the Bucks struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 29.7% of their threes and making only 11 overall. Their field goal percentage was 44.4%, with Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the way, shooting 50% and finishing with 27 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists.

Damian Lillard added 23 points, despite shooting 30% from the field, and made 4 threes at a 30.8% clip. Lillard scored 11 points in the 4th quarter, while Bobby Portis contributed 15 points, hitting 3 threes at 75% efficiency.

The Bucks struggled defensively in the 2nd quarter, giving up 36 points, but they tightened up in the 4th, allowing just 19 points. Overall, Milwaukee held Brooklyn to 113 points on 43% shooting from the field.

From beyond the arc, the Bucks limited the Nets to 12 made threes on 30% shooting. Milwaukee also recorded 6 steals and 6 blocks in the game.