The Milwaukee Bucks host the New York Knicks as they look to become the first franchise to get their name on the new NBA Cup. The In-Season Tournament is a new competition introduced by the NBA this season, and the Bucks are now just three matches away from winning it. In our latest NBA betting picks, we look ahead to their fixture and tell you how Giannis Antetokounmpo and co are likely to get on.
The Milwaukee Bucks qualified for the quarter-finals by winning the East Group B. Wins over the Knicks (110-105), the Hornets (130-99), the Wizards (131-128), and the Heat (131-124) saw the Bucks top the table with four wins from four.
The New York Knicks were also in the East Group B, and their record of three wins and one defeat was enough to see them gain the Eastern Conference Wildcard and a place in the last eight. The Knicks three wins came against the Wizards (120-99), the Heat (100-98), and the Hornets (115-91).
The only defeat the Knicks suffered was the loss to the Bucks in their opening match. That fixture was at tonight’s venue, the Fiserv Forum. Could that already be a bad sign of things to come for Tom Thibodeau and his team?
At the time of writing, we’re not sure how the first two semi-finals finished. The Indiana Pacers were playing the Boston Celtics in the opener, and the Sacramento Kings hosted the New Orleans Pelicans in the second match of the night.
Along with the four teams who competed on Monday, the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, LA Lakers, and the Phoenix Suns made up the eight quarter-finalists.
Heading into the knockout stages, the Boston Celtics were the +300 betting favorites with the best NBA betting sites. The Celtics were followed by the Milwaukee Bucks at +350, with the Sacramento Kings at +550. The LA Lakers and Phoenix Suns were at +575, and they meet tonight at the Crypto.com Arena. Whoever wins that is a real threat to win the competition outright.
The three outsiders in the competition are the Indiana Pacers at +1000, with the New Orleans Pelicans at +1200, and the New York Knicks at +1400.
Moving onto the match betting, the Milwaukee Bucks are favored to win by the best NBA finals betting sites. The Bucks are -190 on the money line, with the Knicks at +165.
The Knicks are receiving a 4.5-point start on the handicap spread. They are -110 to win with the spread, with the Bucks also priced up at -110 to win and cover the spread.
The total points spread is set at 224.5 The last match between these two teams saw 215 points scored. So that spread is set quite a bit higher than the previous combined points total between the two. Both over and under 224.5 is -110.
A reason why that total points spread might be higher is because of the scoring power of the Bucks in recent weeks. In their last eight matches, they have scored over 140 points once and over 130 on three occasions. In total, matches involving Milwaukee would have covered that point spread in 13 of their 15 fixtures since their 110-105 win over the Knicks.
By comparison, New York matches would have seen the spread covered five times in their previous ten.
Below are more options from different sportsbooks on our NBA betting table. You can read more about the bookmakers we have used on our online sportsbook reviews page.
| Milwaukee Bucks vs. New York Knicks |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bucks | -190 | -190 | -190 |
| Knicks | +165 | +165 | +165 |
| Bucks (-4.5) | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Suns (+4.5) | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Over 224.5 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 224.5 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
First up, as the home side, we expect to see the match played on Milwaukee’s terms. As the total points statistics above show, that means there is a good chance overs will win on the points spread market.
This means our first match pick is for over 224.5 points to be scored. We expect to see the spread line move north, or the odds on overs to move south, so jump on the bet as quickly as you can.
Onto our match betting pick, and the Bucks have won by amounts 11, 6, 3, and 7 points in their previous four matches at the Fiserv Forum. But on the flip side, the Knicks have been in good form on the road this season, boasting an impressive 6-4 record. The New York outfit is also in good form overall, with a 7-3 record across its last ten matches.
But the bottom line is, we see the Bucks winning. At -190, we think they are maybe a touch short to back on the money line. So for our betting pick, we are going for the Bucks to win and cover the spread.
Check below for our list of the top sportsbooks where you can wager online:
About the Author
Dean is primarily a fan of English football who regularly attends games, and combining his hobby with his job, he is now a full-time sports betting writer. Rather than going down the educational route into sports journalism, Dean learned his trade by writing for his English football betting website since 2009, where he now boasts nearly 15 years of experience. After writing about football daily for years, Dean has taken the skills he learned and now uses them to great effect writing for numerous affiliate sites across the internet. A general all-around sports enthusiast with a passion for English football and cricket, Dean is also well able to turn his hand to writing about golf, tennis, F1, boxing, snooker, darts, and North American sports. Combining his extensive knowledge and experience with British humor and wit, Dean has developed into a trusted voice within the sports betting industry.
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