Best In The West Face Best In The East | Bucks vs Nuggets | OSB
Milwaukee Bucks at Denver Nuggets
By Sam Batz
The top-seed in the West Denver Nuggets will host the top-seed in the East Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, March 25th in a late night cross conference showdown (9:00 PM EST, NBA TV). The Bucks and Nuggets series is 1-0 in favor of Milwaukee, who beat Denver 107-99 back in January. The Nuggets will look to even the score against the best team in the East in what may be a preview of this year’s NBA Finals matchup. Both sides have already clinched their spot in the playoffs but will look to make a statement against their conference counterpart. The Nuggets are favored at -118 in the opening odds, while the Bucks are the underdogs are +108.
Milwaukee Bucks Breakdown (+108)
The Bucks are the best team in the East with a record of 52-20 (72.2%). They clinched their spot in the playoffs weeks ago but continue to battle against the Boston Celtics for the top-seed. In Milwaukee’s last 10 games they went 7-3 and have won back-to-back games, but play the Utah Jazz Friday, March 24th before heading to Denver on Saturday. The Bucks won’t fret over the back-to-back, as they are 9-1 on no rest this season. Milwaukee looks playoff ready, scoring 123.5 points per game in their last 10 matchups, while shooting 50.3% from the field, and holding their opponents to 117.7 points over that same stretch.
Denver Nuggets Breakdown (-118)
The Nuggets are one of two teams in the West who have already clinched their division and thus a spot in the postseason. Denver is 49-24 (67.1%) and leads the West by 3.5 games. In their last 10 games, the Nuggets posted a 5-5 record, winning back-to-back games on the road, and are back home for Saturday’s matchup where they win 83.3% of the time. Denver scored 113.2 points per game in their last 10, which is below their season average, and gave up 112.4 opponent points per game over that same stretch. Denver lost to the Bucks earlier this season, but that was on the road where the Nuggets are much weaker, and now face the East’s top-team at home where the Nuggets are much more comfortable.
Bucks vs. Nuggets Odds
| Team | Spread (Opening) | Total | Moneyline (Opening) |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +1.5 (-105) | N/A | +108 |
| Denver Nuggets | -1.5 (-105) | N/A | -118 |
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Bucks vs. Nuggets: Season Stats
Milwaukee Bucks (52-20) W2 116.4 (9th) 112.1 (5th) 47.0 (20th) 36.6 (12th) 113.9 (17th) 109.7 (1st) 30-7 (81.1%) 22-13 (62.9%) | Stat Type Streak (W/L) Points/Game Opponent Points/Game Field Goal % Three-Point % Offensive Rating Defensive Rating Home Record (Win-Rate) Away Record (Win-Rate) | Denver Nuggets (49-24) W2 116.7 (7th) 112.8 (12th) 50.9 (1st) 38.9 (T-1st) 117.6 (2nd) 113.8 (16th) 30-6 (83.3%) 19-18 (51.4%) |
Bucks vs. Nuggets: Betting Trends
Milwaukee Bucks 39-27-6 18-13-4 (Away) 17-8-2 (vs. West) 35-37 5-5 4-9 (as Underdogs) 4-9 (Underdogs Away) | Betting Trend ATS (Season) ATS (Home/Away) ATS (Conference) O/U (Season) O/U (Last 10) ML (Favorite/Underdog) ML (Home/Away) | Denver Nuggets 39-33-1 22-13-1 (Home) 14-14 (vs. East) 36-37 4-6 41-15 (as Favorites) 28-6 (Favorites Home) |
Bucks vs. Nuggets Game Changers
Milwakuee Bucks
- Giannis Antetokounmpo is an MVP favorite and can make his mark on any game. He leads the Bucks with 31.5 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game
- The Bucks, who have 6 players who are averaging double-digit points per game, have played 27 games scoring 120+ points
- Milwaukee has dominated the Western Conference, posting a 22-5 record against the West (win-rate: 81.5%)
- The Bucks have the top-rated defense
Denver Nuggets
- Nikola Jokić is making a case for this third consecutive MVP award, leading Denver with 24.8 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 9.9 assists. The Joker leads all players with the most triple-doubles (28) this season
- Denver is decent against the East, posting a 17-11 record (win-rate: 60.7%)
- The Nuggets had 6 players with double-digit figures in their last matchup
- The Nuggets are a top-two offense
Bucks vs. Nuggets Prediction
Take Denver’s moneyline (-118). It’s hard to bet against the Nuggets at home, even against a top-rated opponent like the Milwaukee Bucks. Denver averages 116.7 points per game this season, but average 120.6 points per game at home in Ball Arena. In a battle of offense versus defense, I am going with the offense. Giannis will get his 25+ points but Nikola Jokić can match that, which means it comes down to the rest of the team, and I have more faith in the Nuggets being home to out score the Bucks who are coming off a game the night before.
Prediction: Denver Nuggets Moneyline (-118)
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