Bucks vs Cavaliers Matchup Odds: Central Powers Meet in Cleveland

NBA Odds Tight in Third Meeting Between Rivals

We have a titanic contest between two of the NBA’s three best teams. And they just happen to be division rivals; the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers. Milwaukee rolls into Cleveland with a 2-0 edge over the Cavs although the Bucks vs Cavaliers matchup odds ever so slightly lean towards Cleveland (-1). Given how potent both teams are, this is a can’t-miss matchup that will be dictated by the defense (total of 219).

Bucks and Cavs Are All About That ‘D’

In an era dominated by excessive NBA scoring and obscene point totals, the NBA’s best teams are doing it with their defense. Milwaukee and Cleveland rank 2nd (107.8) and first (106.7) in the league in defensive rating. The Bucks allow the lowest three-point percentage (31.3 percent) on the road. The Cavs allow the lowest points (103.6) from visitors.

As such, the 219 total is likely to be one of the lowest for Wednesday night. Ten of the Cavaliers‘ last 13 games have gone under the total. For the Bucks, the number is similar for their road games: 10 of 13 go under. While these teams appear similar in this regard, they have their own identity.

Cleveland has been surprisingly physical and mature for being a “young” team. Most of the Cavs’ core consists of players aged 25 and under. In fact, leading scorer Donovan Mitchell is one of the “older” guys at 26.

“They kicked our ass,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said following Cleveland’s rout over the Utah Jazz. “They shot the ball unbelievably well from all three levels of the court; [they] play with great tempo, they bothered us with their physicality in the first half, which is what got us behind the eight ball.”

Milwaukee isthatgrizzled veteran team that can still hang. Giannis Antetokounmpo remains one of the most dominant two-way NBA players. He leads the Bucks, one of the most efficient teams on defense. By that the Bucks allow the lowest effective field goal rate (51.3 percent) while having the second-best free-throw-to-field-goal attempt rate. This means Milwaukee is shutting down teams’ scoring without fouling.

This is mainly how Milwaukee wins even with an on-and-off offense, especially on the road. Milwaukee’s offensive rating of 104.5 is the worst on the road. This is why the Bucks are just 5-6-2 against the spread on the NBA betting lines. Defense wins games but you need to score to cover the spread.

Bucks-Cavs’ Recent Matchups: What’s New?

Milwaukee beat Cleveland and covered the spread comfortably in their two games this basketball season. The Bucks vs Cavaliers matchup odds only slightly favored Milwaukee in both home games – by four and by two, which Milwaukee won by 15 on both counts.

The Bucks had to come back from an 11-point first-half deficit against Cleveland in their latest game. Milwaukee held Cleveland to just 39 points on 31.6 percent shooting in the second half.

”They turned it up to a level that we haven’t seen, that we haven’t experienced,”
”That’s playoff basketball, and understanding that they’re going to turn up the physicality (and) everything has to be sharper, everything has to be more precise.” said Donovan Mitchell.

It was deja vu as the Bucks did the same thing to Cleveland in their first meeting. Milwaukee held Cleveland to 38 second-half points and 32.5 percent shooting scores.

Now, the Cavaliers are on their own court and have the seventh-best net rating (7.9) in the second half. Milwaukee may start slow, but the team finishes strong. That’s the play you expect from a playoff-hardened squad with most of its key players in their 30s.

But if this third meeting proves similar to the first, it may be best to bet Cleveland on the first-half lines and then Milwaukee on the second-half. The Bucks vs Cavaliers matchup odds favor Cleveland as the Cavs have won 11 of their last 12 home NBA games. They’ve also won two straight at home versus Milwaukee.

Either way, expect this to be one of the better matchups on the NBA schedule this 2022. This is the third and last of the regular-season meetings between the two.

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