This Bucks vs Nets game is intense. The Bucks could be facing a Nets team that resembles the title favorites Brooklyn was expected to be, or they could be facing the decimated version of the Nets that limped into the All-Star break.
The Milwaukee Bucks will start the stretch run of the regular season at home on Saturday night against the Brooklyn Nets. But who they will be facing in Nets uniforms will be as big a mystery as to how Giannis Antetokounmpo is able to traverse half of the court in just a couple of steps.
Brooklyn should have Kyrie Irving back for this game, as he will not be ineligible due to his vaccination status for this road game. But the Nets do not know what the status of Ben Simmons or Kevin Durant will be for this game just yet. If one or both of them are able to join Irving, the Nets stand a much better chance against the Bucks both from a wins and losses perspective and, more importantly, a basketball betting perspective.
What to expect for this Bucks vs Nets game
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks’ big three is intact, as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday have had the Bucks among the NBA betting favorites for the majority of this season. If Durant is unavailable for the Nets, Antetokounmpo will look to have a field day for the Bucks, as the Nets lack another defender with the combination of length and quickness to challenge the two-time MVP. Even with Durant, anything less than a small army is often not enough to slow down the Greek Freak.
Going into this game, it is worth noting that the Milwaukee Bucks have won six straight games at home over the Brooklyn Nets. Five of those wins came last season when the Bucks won both matchups with Brooklyn at home in the regular season. They then won all three playoff games at home against the Nets during their seven-game series a season ago en route to a seven-game series win that helped them reach and win the NBA Finals.
When it comes to NBA spreads for Saturday night, the majority of interest will be in this rematch of the memorable seven-game series between these two teams. Milwaukee will enter as the favorite due to the relative certainty in their roster compared to the Nets’ mystery lineup situation. But the Nets could get hot from three-point range with Irving and Patty Mills to cover the number even if they are without Durant and Simmons.
One thing that could hold the Bucks back in this Bucks vs Nets game is the injury situation surrounding their role players. Grayson Allen and George Hill are questionable for this game, while Pat Connaughton is out for an extended period of time. If all three of those players miss this game, the perimeter shooting for the Bucks could look worse than the inaccurate shooting from evil henchmen in a secret agent movie.
While the attention in this game is understandably on the stars, a lack of consistent role players could be an underrated difference-maker.
