Washington Wizards vs Milwaukee Bucks Betting Pick & Prediction 12/21/24
At 8:00 ET, the 15th ranked Washington Wizards (4-21) will travel to Milwaukee to take on the 5th ranked Bucks (14-12). The Bucks are favored by 11.5 points and the over/under line is 224.5.
This Eastern Conference matchup will be played at Fiserv Forum and can be seen on MNMT.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS VS MILWAUKEE BUCKS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Washington Wizards +11.5
This game will be played at Fiserv Forum at 8:00 ET on Saturday, December 21st.
WHY BET THE WASHINGTON WIZARDS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 132-117 in favor of the Wizards.
- Our projections have Jordan Poole finishing with 18 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists.
- From the field, we have the Wizards finishing with a field goal percentage of 44.5% and knocking down 14 threes.
Are the Wizards Ready for a Win at Milwaukee?
Washington improved to 4-21 on the season with a 123-114 win over Charlotte on Thursday. The Wizards, who were +3.5 point underdogs, covered the spread with the win. The game’s total points of 237 exceeded the O/U line of 226.
After trailing 30-29 after the 1st quarter, Washington took control with a 15-0 run in the 4th, turning an 86-82 deficit into a 97-86 lead. They finished strong, outscoring the Hornets 36-28 in the final quarter.
Jordan Poole knocked down 5 threes at a 50% clip, finishing with 27 points and 4 assists in the Wizards’ win over the Hornets. Malcolm Brogdon added 25 points and 6 assists, hitting 3 threes at 60% shooting from deep.
Washington connected on 17 threes, shooting 40.5% from beyond the arc and 49.4% overall. Poole scored 10 points in the 1st quarter and added 9 more in the 4th, while Alex Sarr also contributed 9 of his 19 points in the final period.
Defensively, the Wizards gave up 114 points to the Hornets but managed to hold them to 28 points in each of the final three quarters. Washington limited Charlotte to 40% shooting from the field.
The Wizards did an excellent job defending the three, allowing just 8 made threes on 18% shooting. They also recorded 8 blocks in the game.
Can the Bucks Pull Off a Home Win?
Milwaukee dropped to 14-12 on the season after a 124-101 road loss to the Cavaliers on Friday. The Bucks entered the game as +8.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread, losing by 23 points. The total score of 225 points narrowly exceeded the pre-game O/U line of 221.
Cleveland took control early, leading 29-20 after the 1st quarter and 69-51 at halftime. A 12-0 run in the 3rd quarter extended their lead from 98-76 to 110-76. Milwaukee outscored Cleveland 25-21 in the 4th, but the game was already out of reach.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 33 points and 14 rebounds, shooting 59.1% from the field in their loss to the Cavaliers. Khris Middleton added 14 points, while Brook Lopez contributed 10 points, hitting 2 threes at a 66.7% rate.
Milwaukee made just 10 threes, shooting 37% from deep and 47.1% overall. Giannis scored 15 points in the 3rd quarter, adding 13 more in the 2nd.
Defensively, the Bucks struggled in the 2nd quarter, giving up 40 points, and allowed 124 points overall in their loss to the Cavaliers. Milwaukee also gave up 34 points in the 3rd quarter, while their best defensive effort came in the 4th, where they allowed 21 points.
The Cavaliers shot 50% from the field, including 42% from three, where they hit 20 threes. The Bucks sent Cleveland to the line 14 times, where they made 12 free throws. Milwaukee finished with 35 defensive rebounds, allowed 9 offensive boards, and recorded 14 steals.