Losers of three straight both SU and ATS and unable to take to the hardwood because of COVID-19 protocols earlier in the week, the New Orleans Pelicans will attempt to get the train back on the tracks when they play in front of the hometown cardboard cutouts for the second of their extended five-game homestand. But after squaring off against another train wreck in the Washington Wizards last time out, things will get much tougher on Friday night when Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks invade the bayou with a potential two-game win streak in tow. Milwaukee has owned the recent rivalry taking each of the last four meetings and covering at online sportsbooks three times. It’s also been of the higher scoring variety during that stretch with the over cashing in three times and an average of 237 points hitting the board.
Take this heated non-conference showdown in live on Friday, January 29, 2020. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN. We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game of Friday night’s NBA slate.
NBA Opening Lines at BookMaker.eu
Odds Analysis
While the Bucks are one of only five Eastern Conference teams to have logged a double-digit win tally to this point of the season, Mike Budenholzer’s troops haven’t been able to find much of any consistency when playing away from the Fiserv Forum. Milwaukee’s just 3-4 SU and 2-5 ATS when in the visiting role. It’s laid 10-13 points away from home three times and gone 2-1 SU and 1-2 ATS coming a bucket short of covering at Detroit in the most recent instance; the over is 4-3. New Orleans has won two of its five played home games and gone 1-4 ATS. The Pels defeated Toronto the lone time they were catching points. Since playing to a low scorer against San Antonio in the home opener, each of the Pelicans last four home games have cashed over tickets with an average of 229.8 points scored. This will only be their second home game since January 8.
Milwaukee Bucks
Last we saw the Bucks in live action they took their frustrations out on the Atlanta Hawks after dropping back-to-back tussles against the Nets and Lakers. Giannis went for a team-high 27 points and added 14 rebounds as well as eight assists. Milwaukee set the tone early outscoring the Hawks 32-15 in the first quarter, and then paced itself the other three quarters to log the 129-115 win and cover as 12-point home chalk. With Atlanta without the services of leading rebounder Clint Capela as well as leading scorer Trae Young, Milwaukee had a field day on the glass nearly doubling the Hawks 52-27. They won’t have that same luxury in this matchup with New Orleans one of the better rebounding teams in the league evidenced by their 2nd ranked rebounding rate.
New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans will have had 3+ days to rest up before taking on the Wizz Wednesday night. With the matchup representing their first at home in nearly two weeks, you have to imagine they’ll be up for it. Especially after getting embarrassed on their most recent west coast swing that saw them accrue ghastly 1-5 SU and 2-4 ATS records with all but one defeat coming by way of double-digits. The kicker was the most recent loss that saw Stan Van Gundy’s troops fall to the then three win Minnesota Timberwolves 120-110 as 8.5-point favorites after getting outscored 24-14 in the third quarter. They lost the battle of the boards 50-42 and allowed 12 3-point makes, but what really killed them was sending Minny to the line 37 times of which 30 were converted.
Milwaukee vs. New Orleans Prediction
With the Bucks owning the recent rivalry New Orleans returning home from a forgettable road trip, Milwaukee will undoubtedly be a popular side with the masses on Friday night. Linemakers will likely have them installed upwards of 10-point road favorites off what’s likely to be a physical matchup against the Toronto Raptors two days prior. As uncompetitive the Pelicans have recently been, I still think that’s too many points to give Zion Williamson and company who will be making their seventh nationally televised appearance of the season. Each of the previous six was lost! With that, look for the Pels to come out determined and give the Bucks a major run for their money to snap a two game coverless and possible losing streak when hosting Giannis and company.
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