Coming off their 2024 NBA Cup win, the Milwaukee Bucks will look to continue their hot run with a potential victory over the league's best team in the Cleveland Cavaliers, although oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook have them listed as a monster nine-point underdog on the road.
Here's a spread, moneyline, total, and player prop expert pick for this clash atop the Eastern Conference standings at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Friday, December 20, 2024.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Odds
Preview: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 7:30 p.m. ET
| Team | Spread | Money | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Bucks | +9 (-112) | +320 | O 224 (-110) |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | -9 (-108) | -405 | U 224 (-110) |
Odds as of December 20, 2024 at FanDuel
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Expert Picks
Milwaukee Bucks ATS +9 (-112), Cleveland Cavaliers ML (-405)
Without any added context, it would appear quite odd that the Bucks are significant underdogs against Cleveland after having just won the second-ever in-season tournament with a convincing victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. It seems that the rationale behind it is that Damian Lillard will be inactive for the Bucks as he deals with a right calf strain, putting a damper on this marquee matchup.
Milwaukee is 2-1 SU this season without Lillard available, but all three games came against opponents currently possessing a combined win-loss record of 25-58 SU (0.301), and the team only covered once during that stretch. The Cavaliers have lost just four times all season SU, have beaten the Bucks twice already (albeit by a combined three points), and are a staggering 14-1 SU at home with an 11-4 record covering the spread.
It's a shame that fans won't get to see these two teams collide at their full potential once more, with the nine-point spread being the largest of the campaign painting Milwaukee as a betting underdog. The Bucks are 2-5 SU when entering as an underdog and 4-3 ATS.
This is just Cleveland's second game since Dec. 13, not that it needed the added rest to be projected to dominate under these circumstances. It's 6-3 ATS in nine attempts when favored by nine points or more at home, and Milwaukee sans Lillard is probably more competitive than any of those teams the Cavaliers had played. Take the Bucks to cover with the momentum that they've gained in recent weeks, but there's no reason to think Cleveland will drop this outright.
UNDER 224 Total Points (-110)
There's likely to be an emotional downswing for the Bucks following such a fulfilling accomplishment, and not having Lillard (averaged 38.5 points across first two meetings) will require more of an offensive contribution from the likes of Taurean Prince, Brook Lopez, and Gary Trent Jr. which is never guaranteed.
With Milwaukee's 11-15 mark in terms of hitting the OVER, despite Cleveland's success in this department at 17-10, I'll still be leaning towards an UNDER.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Player Prop
Jarrett Allen To Record A Double-Double (+115)
While Jarrett Allen has failed to achieve a double-double in two of his last three outings, he has already put up stout numbers in points and rebounds against the Bucks by averaging 14.5 and 13.5, respectively.
Milwaukee is actually the best team as far as limiting opposing centers to the fewest points in the league, but that hasn't stopped Allen from producing double-digit points as of yet. He went a perfect 4-of-4 last season by notching a double-double in every game versus the Bucks, so there's no reason to think that trend will stop tonight.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Trends
- Darius Garland has failed to exceed 6.5 assists in five of his last six games (5.2 assists/game average).
- Donovan Mitchell has exceeded 3.5 3-pointers in six-straight games at home (4.8 3-pointers/game average).
- Bobby Portis has failed to exceed 1.5 3-pointers in 13 of his last 17 games (1.4 3-pointers/game average).
*all betting trends courtesy of Outlier
