David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA – Photo by Icon sport

Bucks vs Cavaliers: A matchup between to rivals from the East

The Milwaukee Bucks are visiting the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse as five-point favorites.

The Cavs have won the last two

The Cleveland Cavaliers are sixth in the Eastern Conference with an 18-13 record. They are 9-7 at home and are coming into this game as winners of five of the last six games. The Cavs are coming off a 113-110 win against the Dallas Mavericks. Caris LeVert stepped in for Donovan Mitchell, who missed this game with illness, scoring 29 points. The Cavs are the 9th best defensive team in the league, allowing 46.1% from the field and 12.2 three-pointers per game.

Can the Bucks get on top of the East?

The Milwaukee Bucks are second in the Eastern Conference with a 23-8 record. They have won 8 of the last 10 games and are coming off a 144-122 win against the Brooklyn Nets. The Bucks are second in the league with 125.2 points per game. They also rank second with 50.1% shooting from the field and 45 field goals made per game. Their three-point shooting puts them third in the league with 38.3%.

Betting Trends

The Cavaliers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games. They are also 4-1 ATS in their last five games when playing at home against Milwaukee and 5-2 ATS in their last seven games against opponents from the Eastern Conference.

Is Giannis Antetokounmpo a MVP candidate?

Giannis Antetokounmpo won the MVP award in back-to-back seasons in 2019 and 2020. Looking at his stat sheet, the Greek Freak has another phenomenal season, averaging 30.8 points and 10.9 rebounds per game while shooting 60.6% from the field. This definitely looks like an MVP season, but whether Giannis will win the trophy will mainly depend on the competition.

Injury Reports

Jae Crowder is out for the Bucks while Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, Ty Jerome, and Ricky Rubio are out for the Cavs.

Prediction and Conclusion

The Milwaukee Bucks are finishing their four-game road trip tonight in Cleveland. They won 2 of the previous 3 games on the road and will face the Cavaliers, who have won the last two games. Cleveland won five of the last six games against Milwaukee and is going into this one as 5.5-point underdog. The Bucks are among the best teams in the league, but the Cavaliers can definitely keep this one close. Donovan Mitchell is expected to be back tonight after missing last night’s game, and the Cavs will most likely cover the spread.