It will be a battle between Central Division opponents when the Cleveland Cavaliers (40-29) welcome the Milwaukee Bucks (37-32) to Quicken Loans Arena. The game starts at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, March 19, 2018, and will air on ESPN.
Cleveland opened as a 3.5-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 222.5 points.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Prediction
The Bucks come in on a high note after topping the Atlanta Hawks in their last game, 122-117. The Bucks forced 19 turnovers and had a better offensive rebounding percentage (20.0 vs. 18.6). Milwaukee was lifted by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was the team’s leading scorer with 33 points on 12-for-25 shooting.
In the Cavaliers’ last game, they were victorious over the Chicago Bulls, 114-109. Cleveland’s free throw rate was their biggest advantage over Chicago. The Cavaliers had a rate of 0.149 (matching their season average), while the Bulls posted a mark of 0.121 (below their season average of 0.167). With 33 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists, LeBron James led the way for Cleveland with his 14th triple-double of the season.
Cleveland figures to have the advantage on the offensive side of the ball. The Cavaliers rank fifth in offensive efficiency, while Milwaukee ranks 17th in defensive efficiency. Additionally, the Bucks rank third in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.227), while the Cavaliers rank second in opponents’ FTA rate (0.166).
Milwaukee holds records of 37-32 straight up (SU) and 28-36-5 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when setting the O/U total of Bucks games, with 35 overs compared to 32 unders.
Meanwhile, Cleveland owns records of 40-29 SU and 22-46-1 ATS. A little over half of Cavaliers games have also finished over the O/U total.
James has averaged 30.2 points, 11.0 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.8 blocks over the last five games for Cleveland.
The Cavaliers have won two out of three against the Bucks this season, but dropped their most recent game, a close three-point loss. Cleveland covered as a 1.5-point favorite and the game finished with a total of 235 points, which was 20.5 points above the projected point total of 214.5 points. The Bucks had a better offensive rebounding percentage (21.1 vs. 17.9) and had a better free throw rate (0.268 vs. 0.250). In the loss, James led all scorers with 39 points.
Milwaukee Bucks at Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Pick
NBA Pick: SU Winner – Bucks, ATS Winner – Bucks, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Milwaukee is 17-14-2 ATS on the road with 17 overs, 15 unders and 1 push.
At home, Cleveland is 7-25-1 ATS with 16 overs, 16 unders and 1 push.
Cleveland is 14-2 when they hold opponents below 100 points, while Milwaukee is 16-5.
In games where they score over 100 points, the Cavaliers are 39-17 and the Bucks are 31-16.
Milwaukee ranks fifth in blocks per game (5.4) while Cleveland ranks 26th (4.0).
The Cavaliers rank fourth in three pointers attempted per game (32.7) while the Bucks rank 25th (24.5).
Milwaukee ranks fifth in steals per game (8.6) while Cleveland ranks 24th (7.1).
The Bucks average 46.0 points in the paint per game, which ranks ninth in the league. The Cavaliers rank 23rd in points allowed in the paint per game (46.8).
Milwaukee ranks 16th in assists allowed per game (23.3) while Cleveland ranks 29th (25.7).
The Bucks rank fifth in points off turnovers per game (17.8) while the Cavaliers rank 17th (16.3).
Milwaukee ranks second in fast break points allowed per game (9.7) while Cleveland ranks 12th (11.4).
The Cavaliers rank 22nd in rebounds per game (41.9) while the Bucks rank 29th (39.7).
Cleveland ranks 24th in second chance points per game (11.2) while Milwaukee ranks last (10.2).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Milwaukee is 1-4 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under.
Cleveland is 1-4 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders over their last five games.
The Bucks have outscored opponents by an average of 2.2 points in their last five games. For the season, Milwaukee has been defeated by an average of 0.3 points.
During their last five games, the Cavaliers have scored an average of 112.6 points per game (2.3 above their season average) and allowed an average of 114.4 points per game (4.3 above their season average).
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