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The Milwaukee Bucks have some pretty good home wins this season, but this one would take the cake. The Eastern Conference playoff hopeful would give a treat to their fans if they can find a way to knock off the defending champion Golden State Warriors this week.
It’s always a really tough task against the best team in the NBA but Milwaukee has been solid this season and enters the game above .500 overall and 13-7 at home. The level of difficulty could be increased because Golden State star Kevin Durant is expected to play in this contest after missing a few games recently with a calf strain.
The Bucks should be a playoff team this season and are playing at home, and yet they will be the underdogs because of the dominant foe on the other side. Golden State has only lost three times on the road all season and is not looking to add to that total in this one.
Don't miss the hardwood action from the BMO Harris Bradley Center, at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, January 12, 2018. Catch every moment of the game live on ESPN.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Friday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Warriors are 33-8 straight up and 19-21-1 against the spread. They have covered in half of their road games this season. Golden State has been the favorite in every game it has played this season as it features one of the best teams of all-time.
The Bucks are 21-18 straight up and 18-18-3 against the spread. Milwaukee has gone 8-10-2 attempting to cover at home this season. The Bucks are 8-7-1 against the spread as the underdog.
Player To Watch
Giannis Antetokounmpo — While the Warriors are stocked with an unparalleled amount of star power, including Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, there is a player on the other side of the court who can match any of them play for play.
Antetokounmpo, nicknamed the “Greek Freak” for his insane athleticism, has made the jump to superstardom this season and is the reason why the Bucks are improving. He is averaging 28.7 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game for Milwaukee this season.
The Warriors have the superior depth and know that as long as they keep Antetokounmpo near his season averages, they should be OK. However, if he goes off for 45, which is entirely possible, the Bucks may be able to put a scare into Golden State.
The Warriors’ defense is underrated but they still don’t really have a player who will be able to keep Antetokounmpo at bay as he has been a dominant player this year.
Key Stat
116.0. That’s the number of points the Warriors are averaging this season, which is the best in the NBA. They have done that despite being without Curry and Durant for stretches because of injury. Even so, the team has cruised to the best record in the league and seems quite unlikely to give it up the rest of the way.
Curry is leading the team in scoring this season with 27.9 points per game while shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from three-point range. Durant is adding 25.9 points per contest while Thompson is averaging 20.7 per game.
The Bucks have struggled at times on defense this year and can’t afford to be slow on closeouts or else the Warriors will eat them alive.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Bucks are good enough to pull this upset if things go perfectly, but it’s not going to happen. Durant should play well provided he returns to the lineup, while Curry and Thompson are too talented for Milwaukee to slow down.
Keep an eye on the spread, though. This is a game the Bucks may be able to cover by keeping it closer than the oddsmakers project.
NBA Odds: Warriors 113, Bucks 104
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