Milwaukee Bucks vs Portland Trail Blazers Betting Pick & Prediction 1/31/24
At 10:00 ET, the 2nd place Bucks (-453) will visit the 14th place Trail Blazers (+348) in this non-conference matchup. Milwaukee is currently favored by 9.5 points and the over/under line is set at 236.5.
This game will be played at the Moda Center in Portland and can be seen on ESPN.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS VS PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -9.5
This game will be played at Moda Center at 10:00 ET on Wednesday, January 31st.
WHY BET THE MILWAUKEE BUCKS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 121-109 in favor of the Bucks.
- Our projections have Giannis Antetokounmpo finishing with Giannis Antetokounmpo points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists.
- From the field, we have the Bucks finishing with a field goal percentage of 49.5% and knocking down 16 threes.
Can Milwaukee Live Up to the Hype on the Road?
As the Bucks get set to take on the Trail Blazers, they are favored by 9.5 points. This season, Milwaukee has been the favorite in 44 of their 47 games and has a record of 32-12 in those games. When favored, they have gone 17-27 against the spread, with an average scoring margin of +5.5 points per game.
On the road, the Bucks have a straight-up record of 11-10 and are 8-13 against the spread. Their ATS losing streak on the road is at seven games. Overall, their average scoring margin on the road is +1.1 points per game.
In their last game against the Nuggets, the Bucks lost by a score of 113-107. Milwaukee was getting 4 points in that game, and the O/U line was 238.5 points. This dropped their ATS record to 18-29 for the season.
This season, the Bucks have an O/U record of 28-19, and their games have averaged a combined 244 points. Today’s O/U line is set at 236.5, and their games have averaged an over/under line of 239.5 points.
Overall, the Bucks are 32-15, which is good for 2nd place in the Eastern Conference. Against the West, they are 8-3 compared to 24-12 against the East.
When it comes to scoring, the Bucks are one of the most potent offenses in the league. They are 2nd in scoring at 124 points per game. Interestingly, they have been better on the road, averaging 122.1 points per game compared to 125.6 at home.
So far this season, Milwaukee has outscored the NBA scoring average in 76.6% of their games. They have been one of the most efficient offenses in the league, ranking 2nd in true shooting percentage.
When it comes to three-point shooting, the Bucks are 6th in three-point percentage at 38%. They are also 2nd in free throw attempts and 2nd in free throw makes at 20.7 per game.
On defense, the Bucks come into the game ranked 24th in the league in points allowed at 120.0 per game. Over their last three games, the team is allowing 114 points per contest (18th). On two point field goal attempts, the Bucks’ defensive unit is allowing a field goal percentage of 54.6% and allowing 34.3% from beyond the arc.
Is A Home Victory Likely for Underdog Portland?
In their last game, the Trail Blazers defeated the 76ers by a score of 130-104. The combined scoring total easily went over the O/U line of 221. Portland covered the spread as 5.5-point underdogs.
This season, Portland has an average scoring differential of -3.7 points per game at home. On the road, their scoring differential is -12.2 PPG. In Western Conference games, they are 6-26 and are 1-7 against other teams in the Northwest Division.
Coming into today’s game, the Trail Blazers are 14-33 overall, which is 14th in the Western Conference. They are 10 games behind the 8th place Grizzlies. As underdogs, Portland has a record of 13-30.
On the season, the average O/U line in Blazers games is 227 points, and their games have averaged a combined 225 points. So far, they have a 20-26-1 O/U record.
As 9.5-point underdogs, the Trail Blazers are looking to improve their ATS record of 10-11 at home. Overall, they are 22-25 vs. the spread and have gone 21-22 vs. the spread as underdogs.
At home this season, the Trail Blazers have averaged 111.1 points per game, which is 28th in the NBA. Overall, they are 29th in scoring at 108.3 points per game. In terms of pace, Portland is 16th in the league at 98.6 possessions per game.
From three-point range, the Trail Blazers are 24th in the NBA at 35%. They are 30th in field goal percentage overall at 43%. In terms of two-point shooting, Portland is last in the league at 48%.
When it comes to assists, the Trail Blazers are last in the NBA at 22.6 per game. However, they are 6th in offensive rebounds at 11.9 per contest.
At present, the Trail Blazers’ defense is ranked 18th, allowing 116.7 points per game. So far this season, the Trail Blazers’ defense has struggled with fouls, averaging 7th in fouls per contest. On average, opponents are getting to the line 23.9 times per game vs. Portland.