The Milwaukee Bucks still have an outside chance at securing the top seed in the Eastern Conference – but they’ll need to be more effective against better competition, beginning with Tuesday’s encounter in Charlotte. The Bucks (37-23 SU, 27-33 ATS) begin the day 3.5 games back of first-place Brooklyn but are sizable favorites against the surging Hornets (30-30 SU, 32-27-1 ATS).
- Date/Time: April 27, 7 p.m. ET
- Arena: Spectrum Center
- TV Coverage: NBATV
- Sportsbook Odds: Bucks -8.5 | O/U 220 (Line History)
- Bucks vs Hornets Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
Milwaukee comes in as a 9-point road favorite, a half-point higher than the Sportsbook line. The total has also seen incremental movement, rising a half-point from a 219.5 Sportsbook.
Milwaukee News & Notes
The Bucks have made their bones on beating up on the league’s weaker cousins, having gone an incredible 20-4 against teams below .500. A 17-19 record against clubs at .500 or better is a major concern, however, even with Milwaukee playing just five of its final 12 games against teams with winning records (including back-to-back games against the formidable Brooklyn Nets).
A final push for the No. 1 seed will require an MVP-caliber performance from Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has looked great in his return from injury. Antetokounmpo is averaging 29.3 points and 11.4 rebounds while shooting 64.1 percent for the month; he’s a terrific DFS option against a Hornets team he torched for 24 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists in their last meeting January 30.
Charlotte News & Notes
The playoff picture is a murky one for the eighth-place Hornets, who are just 1.5 games behind the Boston Celtics for the final automatic postseason berth but are just 3.5 games ahead of 10th-place Washington. The schedule, however, is a favorable one, with Charlotte playing eight of its final 12 regular-season games at Spectrum Center, where it has gone 16-12.
Help could be on the way as well. Rookie point guard LaMelo Ball and reserve guard Malik Monk have participated in on-court workouts this week and could be close to a return. Ball, who has been out since March 20 with a fractured wrist, will likely return to practice later this week and is eyeing a return to action Saturday. He’s averaging 15.9 points, 6.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds.
Betting Pick: Charlotte +9 (-110)
Even short-handed, the Hornets have been a tough out at home, especially against the Bucks (who are 0-5 ATS in their previous five visits to Charlotte). Look for this one to be closer than you might expect.
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Buy Sports Picks Now- Charlotte is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 head-to-head meetings.
- The UNDER is 4-1 in Milwaukee’s past 5 road games.
- The OVER is 8-4 in the last 12 meetings between the teams.
