Milwaukee Bucks vs Phoenix Suns: Betting Odds & Prediction
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The Milwaukee Bucks (43-24) host the Phoenix Suns (39-28), in a rematch of the 2021 NBA Finals on Sunday.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard take on Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in what should be an entertaining matchup filled with stars.
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Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are currently second in the Eastern Conference, but have endured a season of inconsistency and underperformance, as they sit 9.5 games back from the Boston Celtics in first. The off-season trade for Damian Lillard was supposed to propel them into one of the most dangerous teams in the league, but this has not come to fruition yet.
After coming out of the all-star break with six wins on the bounce, they have since lost three of their last five. These losses all came against Pacific Division teams, as they were defeated by the Golden State Warriors, LA Lakers and Sacramento Kings. They lost these games by a combined 71 points. Their only wins came against a short-handed LA Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers. They now come up against another Pacific side in the Suns, who they already lost to at the beginning of February. In this game they were missing Lillard and Brook Lopez, whilst Khris Middleton exited early due to an ankle injury which has kept him out since. The Suns won 114-106, led by Devin Booker’s 32 points.
At home, the Bucks are 26-7 which is the fourth best in the league. They put up 122.7 points per game, which is again the fourth most, and also give up 102.2. Their last home loss was to the Miami Heat in February, as they fell 123-97. Despite not playing in the reverse fixture, Lillard has scored 25.7 points per game in his career against the Suns. He may be one to watch in this game, as his three point shooting is his greatest asset, and the Suns have allowed opponents to shoot 36.6% from beyond the arc this season, which places them in the bottom half of the league. Lillard is averaging three makes per game.
Fam pulled up @gallinari8888 💚🤞@Bucks x #HerdUp 🦌 pic.twitter.com/Q7CC3i4kmz
— Wisconsin Herd (@WisconsinHerd) March 16, 2024
Phoenix Suns
Hampered by injuries all season, the Phoenix Suns are currently seventh in the Western Conference, sitting in play-in places. They are behind the Sacramento Kings by virtue of 0.03 percentage points, following their 107-96 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night.
Heading into the all-star break, the Suns won seven of nine and were gaining some momentum. However, they lost Bradley Beal to a hamstring injury which subsequently kept him out for four games after the resumption of the league. On his return, Booker sprained his ankle which then kept him out for four games. This means that the big three of Booker, Beal and Durant have played just four times together since mid-February. As a result, they have lost six of the last 12 which leaves them in an intense battle to avoid the play-in. They have both since returned and the Suns have a healthy squad again for the final stretch.
Thirty-five year old Durant has enjoyed plenty of success recently, averaging 30 points per game in the last five. When he, Booker and Beal all score 20+ points, the Suns are 5-1, which shows how unstoppable they can be when they are at their offensive best. Having three elite scorers opens up space for other players on the floor, and the main beneficiary of this has been Grayson Allen. Allen leads the league in three-point percentage at 47.6%, and has drained 27 in the last six games, including eight in back-to-back appearances. If the offense is flowing at his best, expect him to have some more joy from downtown against his former team.
On the road, the Suns are 18-14, though they did pick up a huge overtime win at the Denver Nuggets without Booker last week. On average, they produce 116.7 points, which should mean for a high-scoring game.
Prediction
The hosts have struggled against Western Conference opponents, winning just five of their last 15 games. This includes losses against the lowly Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trailblazers. The Suns have also been dealing with inconsistency, but are tough to stop when their big three share the court. Whilst it will be a very competitive game, expect the visitors to take advantage of the Bucks’ defensive deficiencies.
Giannis should dominate his matchup, but it will likely not be enough, with OddsNow backing the Phoenix Suns to win this game outright.