NBA Odds, Picks & Predictions: Tuesday (12/17)
There’s only one game on tonight’s NBA slate. However, it’s a good one. It’s the NBA Cup Championship between the Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder.
It’s scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC; you won’t want to miss it! Therefore, I’ve included my favorite bet for this game below.
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Tuesday’s Best NBA Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
The Milwaukee Bucks will play the Oklahoma City Thunder for the first time this season. This game won’t count toward the NBA regular season record, but it will count toward the winning team’s bank account!
The Bucks have won three consecutive games and have done a complete 180 since the beginning of the season. Milwaukee struggled under Doc Rivers as head coach, but he’s figured it all out. Now, the Bucks are 14-11 and in fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
On the other hand, the Thunder currently leads in the Western Conference. The team didn’t have Isaiah Hartenstein to begin the season and is currently without Chet Holmgren. Yet, they’ve lost only five games this entire season.
Oklahoma City has limited teams to 104.4 points per 100 possessions and has held opponents to a 50% effective field goal percentage. The Thunder have earned 19% of turnovers and a +12.3 differential this season. According to the analytics, they’re expected to win about 68 games this year.
On the other hand, the Bucks have improved their offense through great shot selection. Milwaukee has shot a 57.5% effective field goal percentage, the third-best in the NBA. However, it will be hard for the Bucks to sustain that success against a dominant defense like the Thunder. When the Bucks struggle to hit shots tonight, they’ll also struggle to rebound from missed shots.
After all, Milwaukee has earned just 21.1% of offensive rebounds this season. They won’t be able to take advantage of Oklahoma City’s poor defensive rebounding.
Meanwhile, the Bucks have forced only 12.7% of turnovers, so they won’t get many extra possessions through turnovers. The Thunder ranks second in the NBA in offensive turnover rate, so Oklahoma will likely win the turnover battle and add more shots in this game.
The Thunder have been more balanced throughout the season despite missing key components. Let’s ride with the Thunder at -5.5 in this one.
Pick: Thunder -5.5 (-105)