The Milwaukee Bucks (34-36) take on the visiting Miami Heat (32-37) at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. The game gets underway at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Mar. 24 and will air on Sun Sports and FSN-WI.
The Bucks got blown out by the Cavaliers 108-90 on Sunday. Michael Carter-Williams finished with 19 points to lead the team. The Heat, meanwhile, are coming off a demoralizing 93-75 loss to the Thunder on Sunday. Hassan Whiteside had a good shooting night, leading the team with 13 points.
Over the last five games, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been playing at a high level for the Bucks. During that stretch, he has averaged 18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.4 blocks. Goran Dragic has also been on a tear in the same span, averaging 17.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.6 steals while leading the Heat.
The Bucks have won all three matchups against the Heat this season, including a 109-102 victory in their last matchup. Mario Chalmers was a top player in the game with 21 points, two rebounds, eight assists, one block, and one three-pointer.
Oddsmakers have deemed this game an even matchup and the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable at the moment. The Bucks are looking to improve on their records of 34-36 Straight Up (SU) and 39-30-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They have gone 23-18 SU and 25-15-1 ATS against teams from the Eastern Conference. The Bucks are a dangerously accurate shooting team from three-point range with a .369 three-point field goal percentage, one of the highest marks in the NBA. If its opponents turn the ball over, Milwaukee has shown that it knows how to capitalize. They average 18.7 points off turnovers, making them the fourth-best team in the league for that category.
On the other side, the Heat head into the game with records of 32-34-3 ATS and 32-37 SU. In Eastern Conference games, Miami has gone 20-20 SU and 20-18-2 ATS. The Heat are one of the top defensive teams in the league, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 97.0 points allowed per game. The Heat are in for a physical game against Milwaukee. The Bucks are not afraid to send opponents to the free throw line, averaging 22.0 fouls per game.
Milwaukee beat Miami in their most recent meeting this season, but the Heat still lead the head-to-head record over the last 10, 7-3 SU. Additionally, with a 6-4 record, the Heat have the advantage ATS. Both Milwaukee and Miami have led in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) twice over the last 10.
Predictions: SU Winner – MIL, ATS Winner – MIL
Notes
On average, Miami scores 94.8 points per game (ranked 26th), while Milwaukee gives up 97.5 points per game (ranked eighth).
Miami ranks 29th in points per away game with 92.6 points, while Milwaukee ranks seventh in points allowed at home with 96.1.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Milwaukee Bucks are a winning 26-11. In games where they fail to hit triple digits, the Miami Heat have a losing record of 12-30.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Bucks are just 8-25 this season. Miami is a solid 20-7 when it reaches the century mark.
The Bucks have an offensive rating of 100.1 (ranked 25th). The Heat rank 21st for their defensive rating of 104.0.
The Milwaukee Bucks average 97.7 possessions per game and 1.001 points per possession, while the Miami Heat earn fewer possessions (93.3) but more points per possession (1.016).
The Milwaukee Bucks average an effective field goal percentage of 49.9% this season. The Miami Heat have a poor record of 9-25 when opponents have an EFF% of 49.9% or greater.
On average, the Milwaukee Bucks make 23.2 assists per game and the Miami Heat make 20.1. Milwaukee is ranked seventh, while Miami is ranked 28th.
Milwaukee makes an average of 4.9 blocks per game (ranked 10th), while Miami makes 4.4 blocks per game (ranked 23rd).
The Milwaukee Bucks rank 19th in offensive rebounding, while the Miami Heat rank 28th in defensive rebounding.
The Miami Heat average 8.1 steals per game, ranked 10th in the NBA. The Milwaukee Bucks are an even 21-21 when they allow at least 8 steals.
