Two of the NBA’s top big men collide in New Orleans on Friday as Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks (11-6 SU, 8-9 ATS) visit Zion Williamson and the Pelicans (6-10, 6-10). New Orleans has won just two of its last 10 games but has owned Milwaukee over the years, winning 15 of the last 18 meetings in the Big Easy.
- Date/Time: January 29, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Arena: Smoothie King Center
- TV Coverage: ESPN
- Sportsbook Odds: Bucks -6 | O/U 229 (Line History)
- Bucks vs Pelicans Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Bucks, who had been bet up to -7 by Friday morning, tend to come through for bettors as big road favorites. Milwaukee is 25-2 SU and 17-10 ATS in its last 27 games when laying 7 points or more as the visitor.
Milwaukee News & Notes
Antetokounmpo came within one assist of his third triple-double of the season Wednesday against Toronto, scoring 24 points and pulling down 18 rebounds in a 115-108 victory over the Raptors.
The Greek Freak has been a model of consistency for the Bucks this season, scoring at least 22 points in his last 12 appearances and posting 10 double-doubles in 16 outings. He’s also dished out 17 assists in his last two games and recorded at least seven dimes in four of his last six.
Khris Middleton added 24 points Wednesday and Brook Lopez contributed a season-high 20 points – his fifth straight double-digit scoring performance – as the Bucks offense continued to hum along.
Milwaukee currently leads the NBA with an average of 119.8 points per game, although the oddsmakers have caught on. All but one of the Bucks’ games this season have had a total of 223 or higher, and Milwaukee has gone UNDER the total in six of its last eight.
New Orleans News & Notes
New Orleans is coming off just its second win in its last 10 games, a 124-106 victory over Washington on Wednesday. Williamson and Brandon Ingram each poured in 32 points for the Pelicans, the first time they have both scored 30 in the same game since becoming teammates last year.
Twenty-one of Ingram’s 32 points came on three-pointers as the Pels jacked up a season-high 43 attempts from behind the arc, a strategy they may turn to again Friday against a Bucks team allowing opponents to shoot 38.6 percent from downtown.
Point guard Lonzo Ball sat out the second half Wednesday after spraining his ankle and is listed as questionable for Friday. If Ball can’t suit up, Nickeil Alexander-Walker would likely take his place in the starting lineup.
Alexander-Walker saw 20 minutes of floor time in the second half against Washington, finishing the contest with eight points, five rebounds and five assists.
The 106 points allowed to Washington was the fewest New Orleans has given up in its last 11 games and snapped a four-game stretch in which the Pelicans had allowed at least 118 points in each game. However, New Orleans still went OVER the total for the 10th time in 11 games and for the fifth straight time at home.
Betting Pick: OVER 228.5
Shutting down the struggling Wizards shouldn’t convince anyone that the Pelicans’ defensive issues are over. Look for New Orleans to go OVER for the 11th time in its last 12.
- Milwaukee is 3-15 SU in its last 18 games at New Orleans.
- The total has gone OVER in 10 of New Orleans’ last 11 games.
- The total has gone OVER in 7 of the last 8 meetings.
