The Dallas Mavericks visit the BMO Harris Bradley Center to take on the Milwaukee Bucks. The game starts at 8:00 pm ET on Friday, Jan. 8 and will air on FSW and FWi.
The Bucks were beaten by the Bulls 117-106 on Tuesday. Michael Carter-Williams recorded 20 points and 12 assists, earning his third double-double of the year. The Mavericks, meanwhile, are coming off a 100-91 win over the Pelicans on Wednesday. Raymond Felton shot 6-for-14 and led in scoring with 22 points.
Over the last five games, Khris Middleton and Carter-Williams have played well for the Bucks. During that stretch, Middleton has averaged 25.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and 3.6 three-pointers. Not to be outdone, Carter-Williams has put up 14.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 2.0 steals, 1.4 blocks, and 0.6 three-pointers.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Mavericks won the first game 103-93. Wesley Matthews was the game’s leading scorer with 22 points.
The Bucks are a small underdog, with Dallas favored by two. The Over/Under (O/U) is set at 201 points. The Bucks enter the game with records of 14-23 Straight Up (SU) and 18-19 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 5-10 SU and 8-7 ATS versus the Western Conference. Milwaukee has averaged 105.1 points per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 97.9. Something to watch out for is if Milwaukee can force its opponents into turnovers and convert them into baskets. They’ve done an excellent job of that all year with an average of 18.8 points off turnovers per game.
On the other side, Dallas has identical records of 21-15 SU and ATS so far. Dallas has records of 7-7 SU and 6-8 ATS against the East. The Mavericks are in for a physical game against Milwaukee. The Bucks are not afraid to send opponents to the free throw line, averaging a league-high 23.8 fouls per game.
With the Mavericks’ last win against Milwaukee, their SU record against the Bucks moves to 7-3 over the last 10 meetings. Additionally, with a 6-4 record, the Mavericks have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Dal, ATS Winner – Mil, O/U – Under
Notes
Milwaukee is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee’s last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee’s last 5 games at home.
Milwaukee is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Dallas.
Milwaukee is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Dallas.
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Milwaukee’s last 23 games when playing Dallas.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee’s last 6 games when playing at home against Dallas.
Milwaukee is 10-3-1 ATS in its last 14 games when playing at home against Dallas.
On average, Dallas scores 101.9 points per game (ranked 12th). Milwaukee ranks 23rd in points allowed per game with 104.0.
Milwaukee ranks 20th in points allowed per home game (101.6 PPG), while Dallas ranks 11th in points per away game with 101.2.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Mavericks are 14-2 on the season. When the Bucks score fewer than 100, they are a losing 6-16.
Dallas is a losing 7-13 when it allows 100 or more points. Milwaukee has an 8-7 record when it puts up triple digits.
The Bucks have a defensive rating of 107.6 (ranked 28th), while the Mavericks rank 11th for their offensive rating of 103.8.
Milwaukee has an average field goal percentage of 45.9% (ranked eighth). Dallas is a subpar 6-10 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Milwaukee Bucks rank higher for their field goal percentage (eighth) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (16th). The Dallas Mavericks rank higher for their effective field goal percentage (13th) than they do for their field goal percentage (18th).
Milwaukee makes an average of 23.4 assists per game (ranked seventh), while Dallas makes 21.8 assists per game (ranked 13th).
Milwaukee makes an average of 5.4 blocks per game (ranked 10th), while Dallas makes 3.5 blocks per game (ranked 29th).
The Milwaukee Bucks rank 21st in offensive rebounding, while the Dallas Mavericks rank fifth in defensive rebounding.
On average, Milwaukee makes 7.7 steals per game. Dallas has a solid 15-9 record when it gives up at least 7 steals.
