Russell Westbrook and the Houston Rockets will host Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday in the season-opener for both squads. This will be the first game Westbrook and James Harden play as teammates since the latter was traded to the Rockets in 2012. This game also features the MVPs of the last three seasons as the Greek Freak looks to defend his throne against last year's scoring leader. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m ET from the Toyota Center. Sportsbooks list the Rockets as 1.5-point home favorites, off a half-point from the opener, while the Over-Under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 230.5 in the latest Rockets vs. Bucks odds. Before you make any Bucks vs. Rockets picks, see what SportsLine's advanced computer model has to say.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and anyone who followed it last season saw massive returns. The model finished 300-252 on all its top-rated picks. On top-rated against-the-spread and money line NBA picks alone, the model returned a whopping $4,280.

Now, it has locked in on Rockets vs. Bucks. We can tell you it's leaning under, and it also says one side of the spread hits in nearly 60 percent of simulations. You can only see that selection at SportsLine.

The model is well aware of how much of an advantage home court was for Houston last year. The Rockets posted a 31-10 record at home, and their point differential jumped from plus-2.4 on the road to plus-7.1 at home. Houston's 60 percent cover rate at home was the third-best in the NBA.

The Rockets are fully healthy heading into this game too, as opposed to last year when Chris Paul and Eric Gordon both missed a game against the Bucks. Meanwhile, Milwaukee's Eric Bledsoe is dealing with a rib injury that could limit him. Bledsoe missed the entire preseason, and the Bucks are going to need consistent production from him with Malcolm Brogdon no longer with the team. Brogdon ranked third on the team in player efficiency rating (PER), while Nikola Mirotic was fifth. Neither will be with the team this season.

Just because Houston benefits from home court advantage doesn't mean it will cover the Rockets vs. Bucks spread on Thursday, though.

The model is also well aware of the fact that the Bucks dominated this matchup last year. They won both games by a combined 21 points, and Antetokounmpo averaged 23 points and 18 rebounds. The Rockets' best answer for him defensively is P.J. Tucker, who is at a five-inch disadvantage. And with Clint Capela's rim protection falling off over the past few seasons, Giannis will have no problem eating in the paint.

The Rockets allowed the seventh-most points from within five feet of the rim last year, and their opponents' 64.4 percent mark from that range was the highest in the NBA. Over the past two seasons, Giannis has scored over 2,000 points from that range.

So who wins Bucks vs. Rockets? And which side of the spread can you bank on in nearly 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Bucks vs. Rockets spread you need to jump on Thursday, all from the model that has crushed its top-rated NBA picks, and find out.