The Golden State Warriors are just trying to tread water at this point, looking nothing like the defending champion as injuries have ravaged their star-studded starting lineup. The Warriors are pretty much locked into the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference so they won’t have a ton of motivation next time out in a matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Milwaukee is on the road for this one, and in any other scenario would be a huge underdog against a team as good as Golden State. But the Warriors are simply trying to get healthy for the playoffs and could actually be only a slight favorite as they look like a shell of the team that was expected to be the team to beat in the playoffs.
The Bucks are hoping to take advantage of the situation and come away with a road victory in NBA basketball betting.
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Odds Analysis
The Bucks are 39-34 straight up and 30-40-3 against the spread. Milwaukee is 18-16-1 against the spread as the road team this year. The Bucks have gone 13-16-1 against the spread as the underdog on the year.
The Warriors are 54-19 straight up and 31-41-1 against the spread. Golden State has gone 16-20-1 against the spread at home. The Warriors are 31-38-1 against the spread as the favorite. There is a chance Golden State is the underdog for only the fourth time this season if injuries keep all of their stars off the court.
Injury Report
It’s a long list of ailments for the Warriors. The most serious is the knee injury to Stephen Curry, who is expected to miss the rest of the regular season and some of the playoffs with the injury he suffered in the game he returned after dealing with a sprained ankle.
Star shooting guard Klay Thompson is out with a broken thumb, and while he should be back soon, it isn’t expected to be in time for this one. Power forward Draymond Green has a pelvic contusion that has kept him out of multiple games and it is unknown if he can return for this one.
The good news for the Warriors is that superstar power forward Kevin Durant is expected to return to the lineup in this game after missing several with injured ribs. The presence of Durant alone could tip the scales in Golden State’s favor.
The Bucks may be without forward Thon Maker, who has a groin injury.
Matchup To Watch
Durant vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo —Two of the most athletic and rangy forwards in the NBA will face off in this one, and the player that gets the upper hand could help lead his team to the win.
Durant is an unbelievable shooter for being 7-feet tall. He is averaging 26.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game this season. Durant is connecting on 52 percent from the field and 43 percent from three-point range.
Antetokounmpo isn’t the same sharpshooter but is still a great player. He is averaging 27.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.5 steals per contest. He recently missed a game with an ankle injury but is back in action and crucial to Milwaukee’s hopes.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Bucks have room to move up in the Eastern Conference standings if they play well down the stretch. The motivation will be there in this one, and all they really need to do is keep Durant from scoring a boatload of points to remain in the game.
Milwaukee should have enough firepower to pull off this much-needed road win against a depleted Warriors squad in NBA basketball betting.
NBA Odds: Bucks 109, Warriors 105
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