The Milwaukee Bucks will face off against the Charlotte Hornets in an Eastern Conference matchup on Friday. Milwaukee is 33-19 overall and 21-6 at home, while Charlotte is 10-40 overall and 5-19 on the road. The Bucks defeated the Hornets, 130-99, on Nov. 17 in their first meeting of the season.
Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET on Friday at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. The Bucks are 14-point favorites in the latest Hornets vs. Bucks odds, according to the SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 231 points. Before entering any Bucks vs. Hornets picks, you need to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer simulation model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 16 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 51-33 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $1,700. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Charlotte vs. Milwaukee. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Hornets vs. Bucks:
- Bucks vs. Hornets spread: Bucks -14
- Bucks vs. Hornets over/under: 231 points
- Bucks vs. Hornets money line: Bucks: -1271, Hornets: +763
- CHA: The Hornets have covered the spread in back-to-back contests
- MIL: The Bucks are 4-4 ATS in the second half of a back-to-back this season
- Bucks vs. Hornets picks: See picks at SportsLine
What to know about the Hornets
The Hornets enter on a nine-game losing streak, most recently falling to the Raptors, 123-117, on Wednesday. The Hornets were involved in two of the biggest trades on yesterday's NBA Trade Deadline, which will leave them without Gordon Hayward (moved to Thunder) and PJ Washington (traded to Mavericks). Charlotte will be significantly shorthanded on Friday with LaMelo Ball (ankle) and Mark Williams (back) out as well.
Miles Bridges and Brandon Miller are the only two of the team's top six leading scorers before the trade deadline available to play for Charlotte on Friday. Bridges is averaging 21.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game with Miller averaging 16.5 ppg. Miller, the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA Draft, is averaging 29 ppg over his last three contests and will now receive even more opportunities to create and score after Charlotte's recent trades. See which team to pick here.
What to know about the Bucks
The Doc Rivers era hasn't gone off to a smooth start in Milwaukee as the Bucks are 1-5 over his first six games as head coach. An adjustment period is expected with as drastic of a move as inserting a new head coach, and five of the first six games have been against teams in the top 10 in the Western Conference. The Hornets are a much easier reprieve and should provide a chance for the Bucks to play winning basketball under Rivers.
The Bucks are coming off a 129-105 loss to the Timberwolves on Thursday, playing without Damian Lillard (ankle) and Khris Middleton (ankle). It was the second straight game Lillard missed and the Bucks are 0-5 without the eight-time All-Star in the lineup. The Bucks are averaging 109.6 ppg without Lillard compared to 123 ppg overall on the season, so his presence makes a huge difference for the Bucks. Even if he can't go, they still have Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two-time NBA MVP who is averaging 31.1 points, 11.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists this season. See which team to pick here.
How to make Bucks vs. Hornets picks
The model has simulated Hornets vs. Bucks 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it also says one side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Hornets vs. Bucks, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Bucks vs. Hornets spread you need to jump on Friday, all from the model on a 51-33 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, and find out.
