Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA – Photo by Icon sport
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Milwaukee Bucks: Both teams have promising seasons
The Oklahoma City Thunder are visiting the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on Sunday.
The Thunder are looking for their fifth straight win
The Oklahoma City Thunder are on top of the Western Conference with a 49-20 record. They have won seven of the last eight games and are coming off a 123-103 win over the Toronto Raptors. The Thunder are the best three-point shooting team in the league with 39.2% from deep, second with 50% shooting from the field, and third with 120.7 points per game. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the frontrunners in the MVP race, being second in the league with 30.8 points per game.
The Bucks are solid at home
The Milwaukee Bucks are second in the Eastern Conference with a 45-25 record. They have won three of the last four games and are coming off a 115-108 win over the Brooklyn Nets. The Bucks are fourth in the league, scoring 120.6 points per game, and are ranked seventh in field goal percentage (49.1%) and three-point percentage (37.9%). Giannis Antetokounmpo is having another impressive season, averaging 30.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game.
Betting Trends
Milwaukee has covered the spread in 4 of the last 5 games against Oklahoma City. The Bucks are 10-4 ATS in the last 14 games overall and 2-7 ATS in the last 9 games against teams from the Northwest Division. The Thunder are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
Prediction and Conclusion
We are used to seeing the Bucks as contenders, while the Thunder have joined that company this season. OKC has been on top of the West most of the season, and they need every game in order to stay there. The Bucks are second in the East, with no chance of reaching the leading Celtics. Milwaukee had many ups and downs this season, and this is a game in which they can prove they are for real. They are a solid defensive team that can limit the Thunder’s shooting percentages. The Thunder have no players to slow down Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, who will take the Bucks to a win covering the -2.5-point spread.
