Golden State (0-1) at Milwaukee (0-1)
Series:
Milwaukee posts an 83-55 advantage in the all-time series as the Bucks have won three of the last four in the series after Golden State had strung together four wins in a row. It’s Golden State’s eighth straight Christmas Day game and the 10th appearance on Dec. 25th in the last 11 seasons. The Bucks took a 107-98 decision last season in January in San Francisco behind 30 points and 13 rebounds from Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Vs. the Spread:
Golden State is 4-2 ATS in it’s last six games against Milwaukee. The Warriors are 9-4 SU in their last 13 vs. the Bucks and the UNDER has been the play in the Warriors’ last five road games. Milwaukee is 1-5 ATS in their last six games and the total has gone UNDER in five of Milwaukee’s last six home games against GSW. Milwaukee is 9-2 SU in it’s last 11 vs. Pacific Division opponents.
| Teams | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden State Warriors | +10 (-108) | +430 | O 232 (-110) |
| Milwaukee Bucks | -10 (-112) | -550 | U 232 (-110) |
Last Time Out:
The Warriors took the ‘L’ on the season’s opening night for the fourth time in the last five seasons when Brooklyn rolled to a 125-99 win at Barclay’s Center. The Nets jumped out to a 23-8 lead that eventually blew out to a 38-point lead. Stephen Curry paced the Warriors with 20 points and 10 assists.
Boston’s Jayson Tatum banked in a 3-point field goal with 1.5 seconds left as the Celtics shaded the Bucks, 122-121, in Boston. Giannis Antetokounmpo was fouled on the subsequent inbounds pass, but missed the second of two free throws. Milwaukee was behind by 17 at the end of the third quarter and stormed back to take the lead before Tatum’s triple. Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 35 points and Chris Middleton bagged 27 with 14 boards and eight assists.
Bay Bombers:
The road doesn’t get any easier for Golden State as it stops at FISERV Forum for the matchup with the Bucks sans Klay Thompson, who is out for the season with a torn ACL, and Draymond Green is also out with an injured foot. It puts all the more pressure on superstar Steph Curry to score as he is now eight points shy of Rick Barry for No. 2 on the all-time scoring list.
Andrew Wiggins could be in line for the role as he averaged 19.4 points per game in his final 12 games last season. Rookie first round pick James Wiseman scored 19 points and had six assists in Tuesday night’s loss in Brooklyn as he became the first rookie to start on opening night since Harrison Barnes in 2012.
Fear The Deer:
It’s easy to figure out that Antetokounmpo and Middleton will lead the Bucks in scoring on most nights, but picking up Jrue Holliday from the Pelicans was a huge deal that will look even better as the season turns into the playoffs. Holiday went 10-of-25 from the floor while scoring 25 points in the opener with the Celtics.
Middleton’s output on Wednesday was just the fourth time in his career where he had 25+ points, 10+ boards, and 5+ assists in one game. Antetokounmpo lead the league last year with 11 games of at least 35 points and 10 or more boards as he had 35 and 12 on Wednesday.
NFL Betting Predictions
Winner: Bucks (-10) 120, Warriors 107
O/U: Take UNDER 232
