Trail Blazers vs Bucks Picks & Odds: Milwaukee The Big Fave With Lillard Out

The Milwaukee Bucks (11-4 SU, 10-5 ATS) welcome the Portland Trail Blazers (10-6, 11-5) to Fiserv Forum on Monday as the two teams tip off for the first time this season. Both teams have lost three of their last four contests – find out which can get back into the win column in our Trail Blazers vs Bucks prediction.

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Trail Blazers vs Bucks Sportsbook Odds

The Bucks opened as the big 7.5-point favorite at home with the total set at 217.5 points. The OVER is 5-2 in the last seven meetings between the two teams while Milwaukee has won six of its last seven matchups against Portland, giving the hosts the edge in our Trail Blazers vs Bucks prediction.

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Lillard Leaves Game As Blazers Drop Second Straight

The Trail Blazers suffered their second straight loss on Saturday, falling 118-113 to the Utah Jazz. Malik Beasley (29 points), Jordan Clarkson (28 points) and Lauri Markkanen (23 points, 10 rebounds) led the way for Utah while Anfernee Simons had 23 points to top Portland.

On top of losing the game itself, Portland suffered arguably an even bigger blow as Damian Lillard left the contest with calf tightness. The point guard has missed five games so far with a calf strain and is expected to be re-evaluated in one to two weeks. Lillard is leading the team in both points (26.3) and assists (7.0) this season; in his absence, the club’s second-leading scorer, Simons (22.5 points per game), will be expected to shoulder a bigger load.

Embiid Outduels Antetokounmpo As Bucks Fall To 76ers

The Bucks fell 110-102 to an undermanned Philadelphia 76ers squad on Friday as Joel Embiid had another strong performance. The Sixers star led all players with 32 points while adding 11 boards for a double-double, and Tyrese Maxey (24 points) also had 20-plus in the win. Giannis Antetokounmpo (25 points, 14 rebounds) and Bobby Portis (21 points, 11 rebounds) had double-doubles for Milwaukee.

After finishing the 2021-22 season with the fourth-best offense in the NBA at 113.9 points per game, the Bucks have seen a decline in their production so far this year, averaging 110.9, which ranks 17th in the league. Antetokounmpo (29.5 points per game) is scoring at just about the same clip as last season but the Bucks have just four players averaging double digits, down from six in 2021-22. A big part of that decline has been the absence of Khris Middleton (wrist), who has yet to play a game this season.

Trail Blazers: Keys To Win

With Lillard ruled out for Monday’s matchup, the Blazers will need everyone to give just a little bit more. Simons has been good for 20-plus points per game on a consistent basis, but he could see a slight increase in minutes without Portland’s top scorer – can he deliver 30-plus points to get his team the win?

Bucks: Keys To Win

The Bucks have lost four of their last six games primarily due to some weak offensive performances. Milwaukee averaged just 99.8 points per game in those four defeats – certainly not enough to earn many wins. Portland owns the fourth-worst defense in the NBA at 115.1 points against per game, so Milwaukee will need to take advantage and get its offense going.

NBA Computer Pick: Trail Blazers +9

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