Just a few days after their dominant 22-point win, the Milwaukee Bucks take on the Miami Heat again on Wednesday night in the opener of ESPN’s NBA doubleheader. Minus Giannis Antetokounmpo the Bucks raced to an early lead and never let up in Saturday’s 124-102 victory. Milwaukee snapped back from a loss to Toronto in the previous game that ended their 8-game winning streak. The loss was the third in four games for the Heat as they try to tread water until Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are ready to return. The season series is even at 1-1 with Miami posting a 137-95 home win during the first week of the NBA season.
The contest between the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat takes place at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, December 9, 2021, from FTX Arena in Miami, FL and will air live on ESPN. BookMaker.eu will have odds for every game on the Wednesday NBA schedule.
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Odds Analysis
The Bucks have gotten things together after some early season struggles. They were 6-8 at one point before reeling off eight straight wins with their offense looking a lot like what we saw during their championship run from a season ago. They were 4-1 ATS in the last five games of their winning streak and easily covered in Saturday’s matchup. They also cashed the OVER in four of their previous five games. It’s been nearly a month since the Heat have won consecutive games going 3-5 SU and 2-6 ATS in eight games since beating Washington on Nov. 18.
Milwaukee Bucks
The season is all about adjustments and finding out what works. The Bucks did that last season earning the franchise’s first title in 50 years. Mike Budenholzer didn’t get overly concerned with the teams sluggish start and his patience was rewarded when the fellas found a groove ripping off eight consecutive victories. The streak ended in Toronto with Giannis missing his first game of the season. But like good teams do, the Bucks bounced back with an impressive home win over the Heat on Saturday with multiple players picking up the slack.
You can’t take a two-time MVP off the floor and expect the team to proceed business as usual. Instead the Bucks relied on a committee approach just like they did last season when Giannis had his workload managed. Pat Connaughton hit seven three-pointers leading six players in double figures with 23 points and the Bucks made 18 triples in the game. They’ve found balance with the addition of DeMarcus Cousins to offset the absence of Brook Lopez, and Wesley Matthews has bolstered the team’s depth in the backcourt. They’ve scored at least 114 points in all but one of their last eight games increasing their season average to over 110 points.
Miami Heat
Having one of your top players out is bad enough; it’s been doubly bad for the Heat, who have gone the last week without Butler and Adebayo. The good news is that Jimmy Buckets is on target to return. He leads the Heat scoring 23.6 points per game while providing stout defense and strong leadership. The not so good news is that Adebayo is expected to be out much longer with ligament damage in his thumb. The club has also been without Markieff Morris and Victor Oladipo leaving others to pick up the slack.
There is no lack of firepower on the roster even with the injuries. Kyle Lowry stepped up with a season-high 26 points in a win over Indiana, Miami’s lone victory in a four-game stretch, and averages 12.8 points. Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson also average double figures. But for the Heat to survive this stretch they’ll have to do it on defense. They rank fourth allowing just over 104 points per game and are 6-1 SU in their last seven games when holding opponents at or below that number. The chore is more difficult without Butler and rim protector Adebayo, though.
NBA Pick
Each team has a blowout win on its home floor, which is a positive sign for the Heat. They walloped Milwaukee by 42 points back in October when Adebayo and Butler combined for 41 points on 15 of 23 shooting. Butler may be back in time for this one but Adebayo is out for a few weeks and that stings. I expect the Bucks will take advantage of the void in the middle and continue their hot shooting in the road win.
NBA Odds Prediction: Bucks 114, Heat 105
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