The Milwaukee Bucks will try to clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference on Sunday when they take on the Houston Rockets in their second game following the coronavirus shutdown. The Bucks own the best record in the NBA at 54-12, while the Rockets are the fifth seed in the West at 41-24. Tip-off from Orlando is set for 8:30 p.m. ET.
The Bucks are coming off a 119-112 win over the Boston Celtics on Friday, while the Rockets outlasted the Dallas Mavericks, 153-149, in overtime. The Bucks are 4.5-point favorites in the latest Bucks vs. Rockets odds from William Hill, while the over-under for total points scored is 241. Before making any Bucks vs. Rockets picks, check out the latest NBA predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and it's already returned over $4,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks during the 2019-20 season. It also was a blistering 52-32 on all top-rated NBA spread picks before the coronavirus shutdown, returning almost $1,700 on those picks alone. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Bucks vs. Rockets. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the NBA odds and trends for Bucks vs. Rockets:
- Bucks vs. Rockets spread: Bucks -4.5
- Bucks vs. Rockets over-under: 241 points
- Bucks vs. Rockets money line: Bucks -185, Rockets +165
- MIL: Bucks are 25-9 as the road team in 2019-20
- HOU: Rockets have a 15-7 record against Eastern Conference foes this season
Why the Bucks can cover
Milwaukee is looking to secure the top seed in the East for the second year in a row. The Bucks are among the league's top statistical leaders in several categories, including scoring (tied with Houston at 118.7 points per game), rebounding (first at 51.7), and field goal percentage (second at 47.7). Milwaukee has also had plenty of success against the Western Conference, going 19-7.
A major reason for the Bucks' success is last year's MVP, forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is having another monster season. He scored 36 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and dished out seven assists in Friday's victory. He had a triple-double with 30 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in the Bucks' 117-111 win over the Rockets on Oct. 24 in Milwaukee.
Why the Rockets can cover
Even so, Milwaukee isn't a lock to cover the Bucks vs. Rockets spread. That's because the Rockets are in a fierce battle for seeding in the West. Houston enters the game just one game behind fourth-seeded Utah, 1.5 games behind third-seeded Denver and three games behind the second-seeded Los Angeles Clippers.
Guard James Harden continues his torrid scoring pace. He poured in 49 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had eight assists in the Rockets' win over Dallas. He is averaging 34.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 7.4 assists this season. In 20 career games against Milwaukee, Harden is averaging 24.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists.
How to make Bucks vs. Rockets picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total. In fact, it says Milwaukee's George Hill will score nearly three points under his average, while Harden will score nearly two points under his average. It has also generated a strong against-the-spread pick that cashes in nearly 70 percent of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Bucks vs. Rockets? And which side of the spread that cashes in nearly 70 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Bucks vs. Rockets spread to jump on Sunday, all from the advanced model that is up nearly $4,000 on its NBA picks this season, and find out.
