The Brooklyn Nets welcome the Milwaukee Bucks to Barclays Center for a hotly anticipated game on Friday. The Nets are 24-12 overall and 10-9 in home games this season, while the Bucks are 12-8 on the road and 25-15 overall. Jrue Holiday, George Hill, Grayson Allen and Pat Connaughton are out due to protocols, while Brook Lopez (back) and Donte DiVincenzo (ankle) are also out for Milwaukee. Joe Harris (ankle) and Kyrie Irving (ineligible) are out for Brooklyn.
Caesars Sportsbook lists Brooklyn as a 4.5-point home favorite, and tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the Over-Under, is 232.5 in the latest odds. Before you make any NBA predictions with the Bucks vs. Nets match-up, 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 well over $10,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model enters Week 12 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 50-27 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning almost $2,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Bucks vs. Nets, and just locked in its coveted picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Nets vs. Bucks:
- Bucks vs. Nets spread: Nets -4.5
- Bucks vs. Nets over-under: 232.5 points
- Bucks vs. Nets money line: Nets -190, Bucks +160
- Milwaukee: The Bucks are 11-9 against the spread in road games
- Brooklyn: The Nets are 4-14-1 against the spread in home games
Why the Bucks can cover
Brooklyn's weaknesses play into Milwaukee's strengths. The Nets are No. 25 in the NBA in offensive rebound rate, with the No. 27 mark in three-pointers per game on offense. On the other end, Brooklyn is No. 25 in defensive rebound rate and No. 23 in turnover creation rate, with the Nets falling below the league average in free throw prevention. The Bucks are excellent on both ends at full strength, scoring 111.6 points per 100 possessions and flashing an elite defense.
Milwaukee is making 14.3 three-pointers per game and converting long-range attempts at a 36.2 percent clip. The Bucks are also committing only 14 turnovers per game on offense, and Milwaukee is near the top of the NBA in preventing opponents from making shots. The Bucks are holding the opposition to 44.1 percent from the field, and Milwaukee is in the top eight in free throw attempts allowed, giving up 19.4 per game. The Bucks also secure the defensive glass well, grabbing 73.9 percent of available rebounds on that end of the floor this season.
Why the Nets can cover
Brooklyn is exceptional, with top-10 rankings on both offense and defense. The Nets are out-scoring opponents by three points per 100 possessions, and Brooklyn is in the top five in field goal percentage (46.9 percent) and free throw percentage (81.5 percent). The Nets are generating 21.7 free throw attempts per game, a top-eight figure, and Brooklyn is near the top of the NBA in assists (25.7 per game) and fast break points (13.6 per game).
On defense, the Nets are holding opponents to 43.2 percent shooting, No. 2 in the NBA, and Brooklyn is allowing the lowest three-point percentage (31.6 percent) of any team in the league. The Nets are in the top five in assists allowed, giving up only 22.4 per game, and Brooklyn is rejecting 5.6 shots per game. Milwaukee is below-average at the free throw line as well, making just 76.2 percent of attempts, and the Bucks are shorthanded in this matchup.
How to make Bucks vs. Nets picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, with only seven players projected to score in double figures. The model also says one side of the spread hits in over 60 percent of simulations. You can only see the model's Nets vs. Bucks pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Bucks vs. Nets? And which side of the spread hits in over 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Nets vs. Bucks spread you need to jump on Friday, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
