The NBA Christmas Day brings some terrific matchups around the country and plenty of intriguing markets to the bettors, so I’ve prepared the best betting pick for the Golden State Warriors versus Milwaukee Bucks showdown along with the latest team news, stats, and odds update.
Both Golden State and Milwaukee disappointed their fans last season. They started the new campaign on the wrong foot, too, so Friday’s clash at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee will have a lot on the table even though we’re still in the opening week of the 2020-21 NBA season.
The Warriors stood no chance against Brooklyn
The Golden State Warriors tried their best on the opening night, but they were beaten hard by the Brooklyn Nets, 125-99. The Dubs failed to cover a 7.5-point spread, trailing by 15 points at the end of the first quarter already.
They shot only 37.4% from the field and 30.3% from downtown. The Warriors haven’t impressed on the defensive end either, so Steve Kerr’s boys will have to improve a lot if they want to avoid another humiliation Friday in Wisconsin.
Steph Curry posted a double-double of 20 points and 10 assists in the opener, but he shot 2-for-10 from beyond the arc. Rookie James Wiseman had 19 points and six rebounds in 24 minutes on the floor, while Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre Jr. combined for just 19 points on a terrible 7-for-30 shooting from the field.
The Bucks came short in Boston with Giannis missing the key free throw
The Milwaukee Bucks opened with a 122-121 defeat at the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night. They entered the fourth quarter with a 17-point deficit, but the Bucks rallied and had a one-point lead with 8.9 seconds left on the clock.
However, Jayson Tatum hit a triple for the Celtics to make it 122-120, while Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the potential game-tying free-throw with 0.4 seconds left in the fourth.
The Greek Freak finished the game at TD Garden with 35 points and 13 rebounds, but he also had seven turnovers. Khris Middleton had a big night, accounting for 27 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists, while Jrue Holiday added 25 points in his first outing as a Buck.
[metabet_core_odds_compare query=”nba/bucks” size=”300×250″ site_id=”atsio” css=”float:right; margin-left:10px”]Trends:
Golden State:
- 4-7 ATS in the last 11 games overall
Milwaukee:
- 11-6 ATS in the last 17 games against Golden State
- 8-2 ATS in the last ten regular-season games at home
The Winner Prediction
The Warriors didn’t play well in the opener, and I don’t expect them to improve a lot in the next few weeks. Even if they enjoy a good shooting night at Fiserv Forum, the Dubs will struggle mightily to cope with the Bucks’ offense.
According to BetAmerica, the Bucks are -550 moneyline favorites for Friday’s contest which tells you a lot about the bookies’ expectations. Covering a 9.5-point spread could be a tricky job, considering it’s still early in the season and all teams still have to work hard on many aspects of the game.
However, I have to bet on Milwaukee. The Bucks have covered in eight of their last ten outing at home in the regular season and are 7-1 straight up and 5-3 ATS in their previous ten showings as double-digit favorites.
Pick: Take Milwaukee Bucks -9.5 at -110
The Total:
When it comes to the totals, this game could easily go either way, and the betting trends are not helping at all. Therefore, I’m going with the over, expecting to see some high-tempo basketball from both teams.
The Bucks love to push the ball in transition, leaning on their tough defense. On the other side, the Warriors know they have to execute well offensively, and I can only hope they will shoot the ball much better than they did against the Nets.
Pick: Go over 232.0 points at -110