On Sunday, 03/09, the Milwaukee Bucks (36-25) will host the Cleveland Cavaliers (53-10) in an Eastern Conference Regular-Season match-up. The Bucks are sitting at the 4th position in a close race, while the Cavs have held the best record this season since the beginning. Who will come up on top in this blockbuster battle? Read about the preview, total predictions, and player props here.
Bucks: A lot of promise but a work-in-progress
The Milwaukee Bucks will come into this game after playing against the Orlando Magic the previous night. Before that, Milwaukee defeated the short-handed Dallas Mavericks by 20 points as Damian Lillard erupted for 34 points. They are 10-3 over their last 13 games, helping them sustain a place among the top four-five teams in the East. Their defense has been among the top-ten teams for the most part, while their offense has been in the top ten too. The chemistry between Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo has been developing rapidly, while Kyle Kuzma’s inclusion has given their team a terrific dimension. However, they still don’t look like championship material.
Expected Starting Lineup
PG: Damian Lillard | SG/SF: Taurean Prince | SF: Kyle Kuzma | PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo | C: Brook Lopez
Key Injuries/Updates: The status of Giannis Antetokounmpo is UNCLEAR.
Cavaliers: Somehow keep getting better
The Cavaliers enter the game after a close one-point win over the Charlotte Hornets as their ace Donovan Mitchell collected 24 points. They have won 13 in a row, the second time they have accomplished the feat. They also have a ten-game winning streak under their belt, indicating their unprecedented ascent. They are the #1 in scoring with 123.1 points per game on a 49.5% shooting clip(2nd). Their defense has been above-average as they have given up around 111.7 PPG(10th), which has helped them come up with many blowout wins. The only question is if they will be able to sustain this momentum during the postseason, emerging as a legitimate title contender.
Expected Starting Lineup
PG: Darius Garland | SG: Donovan Mitchell | SF: Max Strus | PF: Evan Mobley | C: Jarrett Allen
Key Injuries/Updates: Nothing to report thus far..
The Bucks will enter the game after a match on the previous night, which means they will be more exhausted than the Cavs, who will have had a day’s rest. The Bucks’ offense has usually struggled to put up over 115 points in back-to-back situations. However, the Cavs love shootouts and allow teams to get hot at times, only to shut them down later, which makes for interesting scoring combinations in their matches. Meanwhile, the Cavs can have a field day here and end up with 130+.
Projected Predictions:
Damian Lillard to convert over 3.5 triples: The sharpshooter has knocked down around 3.7 triples per game since February. He has nailed 4 or more triples in three of the last five games. I expect him to be in the 4-5 threes range here.
Kyle Kuzma to score over 16.5 points: The sharpshooter has scored 16 or more points in 7 of his appearances with the team. I expect him to be in the 17-19 points range here.
Donovan Mitchell to score over 26.5 points: The Cavs’ ace has weaved 24.4 PPG this season thus far. He has scored 26 or more in three of the last four games, I expect such heroics from him again.
Max Strus to make over 2.5 triples: The Cavs sharpshooter has made around 2.5 triples per game since February, and I expect him to get past the mark again.
The Cavs are overwhelming favorites in pretty much every game these days. They will be in full hunt mode against a squad that will be playing a back-to-back game. Additionally, it is unclear if Giannis Antetokounmpo will participate here. If he does, then we can have a little bt of a contest otherwise, the Cavs should blow Milwaukee out of the building. They can probably win by 10+ points here, especially if Antetokounmpo is out.
Safe Spread Pick: Cavaliers -11.5 for +120 at BetMGM
Photo Credit: Ken Blaze- Imagn Images
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