The Bucks are looking to bounce back in North Carolina after Tuesday’s loss to Oklahoma, while the Hornets are hoping to secure a third win in a row. With plenty of picks and markets to choose from, don’t waste your time and join the action at Get More Sports.
Milwaukee Bucks at Charlotte Hornets
Spread: Hornets -3.5 (-110) at BetDSI Sportsbook
Total: Over/Under 204.5 (-110)
The Bucks are hoping for the third consecutive victory over Charlotte
The Milwaukee Bucks are visiting North Carolina to play the second of back-to-back games following the Tuesday’s 91:110 defeat against the Oklahoma City Thunder. They are hoping for the second win over Charlotte in this campaign as the previous duel ended 103:94 a week ago in Wisconsin. Milwaukee has four victories and three losses at the moment, and they won both road matches thus far.
The Oklahoma City Thunder had a 60:42 lead after the first half, and at that point, it is evident that Milwaukee cannot turn the things around. They had just 30% from beyond the arc (9-30), while Oklahoma dominated the paint with 46 rebounds in opposite to the Bucks’ 31. The field goal percentage (42.1%) wasn’t that bad, but it proved insufficient to beat the favored Thunder. Giannis Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 28 points, eight boards, and three assists, but he was the only one with double digits, and that is a huge reason why the Bucks lost this tilt as the “Greek Freak” couldn’t do it all alone. Khris Middleton had nine points, seven rebounds, and a couple of steals, but his shooting (3-13) was disastrous. Without Middleton to help Giannis in the attack, the Bucks didn’t have a chance against the Thunder who had five players in double digits. However, Milwaukee will have an opportunity to respond in Charlotte, and it will be a redemption time for the likes of Middleton and Brogdon, especially for the former one, who scored 20 points last time the Bucks played the Hornets.
Jason Kidd will be without the center Greg Monroe who missed the games in Atlanta and against Oklahoma due to a left calf soreness, and the former Detroit Piston will be sidelined for the next two weeks. The power forward Jabari Parker is a long-term absentee as he is still recovering from a knee injury. The Bucks are scoring 104.50 points per contest on average (15th in the NBA), while they are allowing 103.67 points in return (14th in the NBA). Even though they struggled with rebounds against the Thunder, Milwaukee is the 4th in defensive boards, while they are second in the field goal percentage with 49.27%.
Place: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
Date/Time: Wednesday, November 1st, 2017, 7 PM ET
TV Coverage: FSSEC; FSW
The Hornets are in the search for the third straight win
The Charlotte Hornets responded well after a home loss to the Houston Rockets with consecutive victories over the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies. The one in Memphis is particularly pleasing for Charlotte fans as the Grizzlies were the team with the best record in the NBA at that point. The Hornets are now 4-3, and they are hoping to end the negative streak of three defeats in a row against Milwaukee, and this could be an excellent change given that the visitors are coming to town for their second of back-to-back matches.
Charlotte won in Memphis thanks to the final quarter heroics as they scored 31 points, opposite to the Grizzlies’ 17, and it was a deciding factor in the tilt. The Hornets were excellent defensively, and even though they didn’t have a great field goal percentage (41.6%), they were calm enough to see off the resilient hosts. Charlotte dominated the boards (56-48) despite only seven from Dwight Howard, who was occupied guarding Marc Gasol, and I could say that the “Superman” did a fantastic job, limiting Memphis’ best player to just ten points. Kemba Walker led the Hornets with 27 points (7-15 FG, 12-13 FT) and six assists, while the shooting guard Jeremy Lamb added 17 points and eight rebounds, proving once again that he is a decent substitute for injured Nicolas Batum. Malik Monk contributed with 13 points, Cody Zeller had 11 points, eight boards, and game-high three blocks, while Michael Kidd-Gilchrist chipped in with ten points and six rebounds. Howard struggled from the field (1-9) and recorded season-lows two points and seven boards, and he is the first candidate to bounce back against Milwaukee’s weak frontcourt, so I expect the “Superman” to own the paint on Wednesday. Walker and Lamb have been very good so far in the season, and these three players will likely lead the hosts in scoring.
Steve Clifford is still without Nic Batum, Michael Carter-Williams, and Julyan Stone who are all out injured. The team will be even stronger when Batum returns, as it will give them excellent options on the wings, but that will not happen at least for another month as the Frenchman is still recovering from a torn ligament. The Hornets are scoring 102.86 points per contest on average (19th in the NBA), while they are allowing 101.43 points in return (10th in the NBA). Charlotte leads the league in rebounding (51.43 rpg), mainly thanks to Howard who is averaging 14.9 boards so far in this campaign. They are also among the best defensive teams when it comes to opponent’s shooting as they held the rivals to just 40.92% from the field (2nd in the NBA), and 31.09% from the perimeter (4th in the NBA).
Milwaukee Bucks at Charlotte Hornets Trends & Prediction
The Milwaukee Bucks are 3-4 against the spread, (2-0 away), while they are 4-3 on over/under (2-0 away), so judging that we should expect a tight affair here, but I think we will see plenty of baskets. Only one of the last five H2H duels went OVER, but given total is not very big, and I believe the teams will score over 100 points each.
The Charlotte Hornets are 4-3 against the spread (3-1 home), while they are 2-5 on over/under (1-3 home). I am backing the hosts to win by four points or more, primarily because the Bucks played last night and they will have to be a bit tired, which is a great opportunity for Charlotte to exploit. For those who like to play combinations, Charlotte to win and over seems as a good option.
My Pick: Charlotte Hornets -3.5 (-110)
Total: Over 204.5 (-110)
