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USATSI

The Milwaukee Bucks (7-4) will try to stay unbeaten in the East Group B standings in the 203 NBA In-Season Tournament when they face the Charlotte Hornets (3-7) on Friday night. Milwaukee is coming off back-to-back double-digit wins over the Bulls and Raptors, moving into a tie for first place atop the Central Division standings. Charlotte has lost four of its last five games, including a 111-105 setback against Miami on Tuesday. The Hornets are 1-1 in East Group B play, while Milwaukee is 1-0. 

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET at the Spectrum Center. Milwaukee is favored by 7 points in the latest Hornets vs. Bucks odds, while the over/under is set at 238.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Bucks vs. Hornets picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.

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 4 of the 2023-24 NBA season on an 80-43 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning more than $3,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Milwaukee-Charlotte. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:

  • Hornets vs. Bucks spread: Bucks -7
  • Hornets vs. Bucks over/under: 238.5 points
  • Hornets vs. Bucks money line: Hornets: +241, Bucks: -306
  • Hornets vs. Bucks picks: See picks here

Why the Hornets can cover

Charlotte is expected to have forward Miles Bridges back on the court for this game after missing more than a year due to an NBA-imposed suspension regarding a domestic violence case. Bridges missed all of last season and was handed a 10-game ban to open this campaign, but he is eligible to return on Friday night. He averaged 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game during the 2021-22 season. 

Point guard LaMelo Ball currently leads Charlotte in scoring, averaging 22.2 points, 8.6 assists and 5.4 boards per game. He has scored at least 25 points in five straight games, posting two double-doubles during that stretch. The Hornets have covered the spread in four of their last six contests, while Milwaukee has only covered once in its last eight games. 

Why the Bucks can cover

Milwaukee has dominated Charlotte in recent years, winning 10 of the last 15 meetings between these teams. The Bucks have also won five of their last seven games this season, beating Chicago and Toronto by double digits earlier this week. Point guard Damian Lillard scored 37 points and dished out 13 assists in Wednesday's 128-112 win over the Raptors, helping Milwaukee overcome the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf), who is questionable for this game. 

The Bucks are a much healthier team than Charlotte overall, as Terry Rozier, James Bouknight and Cody Martin have all been ruled out for the Hornets. Meanwhile, Gordon Hayward and Brandon Miller are both game-time decisions, and Bridges has not played in more than a year. The Hornets are just 1-8 in their last nine home games and 5-15 in their last 20 November games. See which team to pick here. 

How to make Hornets vs. Bucks picks

The model has simulated Bucks vs. Hornets 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it also says one side of the spread is the better value. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

Who wins Hornets vs. Bucks, and which side of the spread is the better value? Visit SportsLine now to see the picks, all from the model that is on an 80-43 roll on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.