The Charlotte Hornets welcome the Milwaukee Bucks to town on Tuesday evening. Charlotte (30-30) aims for its fourth straight home win, and the Hornets are 16-12 in their home building this season. Milwaukee is 37-23 overall and 17-13 away from home. Milwaukee's injury report is clean in this matchup. LaMelo Ball (wrist), Gordon Hayward (foot) and Malik Monk (ankle) are out for Charlotte.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET in Charlotte. The latest Bucks vs. Hornets odds from William Hill Sportsbook lists Milwaukee as a nine-point favorite. The over-under for total points expected is set at 225.5, up five points from the opening line. Before finalizing any Hornets vs. Bucks picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned over $9,400 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past two-plus seasons. The model is up over $1,400 on its top-rated picks this season and entered Week 19 of the 2020-21 NBA schedule on a stunning 97-60 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread dating back to last season. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Bucks vs. Hornets. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting trends for Hornets vs. Bucks:
- Bucks vs. Hornets spread: Bucks -9
- Bucks vs. Hornets over-under: 225.5 points
- Bucks vs. Hornets money line: Bucks -400, Hornets +320
- MIL: The Bucks are 5-5 against the spread in the last 10 games
- CHA: The Hornets are 4-6 against the spread in the last 10 games
Why the Bucks can cover
Milwaukee is one of the best teams in the NBA, with high-end prowess on both ends of the floor. The Bucks have tremendous defensive talent, headlined by arguably the game's best guard defender in Jrue Holiday, and Milwaukee also has a pair of two-way stars. Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging 28.5 points, 11.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game, and he is a force near the rim on both ends.
Khris Middleton is putting up 20.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per contest, with difficult shot-making ability and 43.0 percent from 3-point range. As a team, the Bucks land in the top eight in both offensive rating (116.2 points per 100 possessions) and defensive rating (109.8 points allowed per 100 possessions. Charlotte is a solid team in its own right, but Milwaukee has the talent edge, plus home-court advantage and plenty of incentive to bounce back after a loss on Sunday.
Why the Hornets can cover
Charlotte has notable strengths, even amid injury absences to some of its top players. The Hornets are above-average in shooting efficiency, posting an effective field goal shooting mark of 53.8 percent, and they are a top-10 offensive rebounding team, securing 27.2 percent of their own missed shots. Charlotte is also a wonderful passing team, ranking in the top five in assists (26.9 per game) and No. 2 in assist percentage (67.2 percent).
Milwaukee can be vulnerable to 3-point shooting from the opposition, yielding 37.4 percent for the season, and Charlotte is converting at a 37.7 percent clip. On the defensive end, the Hornets rely on a sky-high turnover creation rate of 15.0 percent. Charlotte is also a top-five team in preventing free throw attempts, and the Bucks land in the NBA's bottom tier in both free throw generation (20.9 attempts per game) and accuracy (75.8 percent).
How to make Hornets vs. Bucks picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 219 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time. You can get that pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Hornets vs. Bucks? And which side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a roll on NBA picks.
