Bucks Look to Trample Doncic-Less Mavericks

It was supposed to be a matchup of two of the best young basketball players on the planet – but the Dallas Mavericks will head to Milwaukee without their superstar. Luka Doncic will sit out Monday’s showdown with the Bucks after suffering an ankle injury that will keep him out of the Mavericks lineup for the next two weeks.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

Bettors were treated to a Bucks -10 line at select sportsbooks in the early going, but it’s now -11 just about everywhere. The total has risen a point after Sportsbook at 226.

Dallas News & Notes

The good times might be over in Dallas for the next handful of games after Doncic went down with a sprained ankle in Saturday’s 122-118 overtime loss to the Miami Heat. Doncic has earned plenty of MVP praise early in the season, and it’s well warranted – the second-year sensation is averaging 29.3 points, 9.6 rebounds and 8.9 assists while ranking second in player efficiency rating.

So who will be asked to step up for a Dallas team that is 1-2 ATS in its last three games following a five-game cover streak? Kristaps Porzingis is the obvious answer, but he’s off to a chilly start to his Mavericks tenure (16.8 ppg, 8.9 rpg). The better option might be Tim Hardaway Jr., who scored 28 points in the loss to Miami with Doncic leaving after just two minutes of action.

Milwaukee News & Notes

The superlatives are plentiful when describing Milwaukee’s incredible winning streak, which has included 10 double-digit victories. In fact, only two teams have finished within eight points of the overall NBA leaders. The Bucks’ average scoring margin has vaulted to +13.6; to put that in perspective, just two other clubs have scoring margins above +9.0.

At the center of the Bucks’ success is defending league MVP Giannis Antekounmpo, who has played even better in his seventh NBA season. The Greek sensation is averaging a career-best 31.0 points and 12.8 rebounds while adding 5.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks. But strangely, Antekounmpo is shooting just 59.3 percent from the line, well below his 72.9 percent career rate.

Betting Pick: Milwaukee -10

No Doncic? No hope of a Dallas cover against a Bucks team that looks like it’s in a different stratosphere altogether.