The Oklahoma City Thunder head to the BMO Harris Bradley Center to take on the Milwaukee Bucks. The game starts at 3:30 pm ET on Sunday, Mar. 6 and will air on FWi and FxK.
The Bucks beat the Timberwolves 116-101 on Friday. With 27 points and 12 assists, Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded his 13th double-double this season. The Thunder, meanwhile, are coming off a 121-106 loss at the hands of the Warriors on Thursday. Kevin Durant had a solid game, accumulating his 22nd double-double of the season with 32 points and 10 rebounds.
Over the last five games, Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton have played well for the Bucks. During that stretch, Antetokounmpo has averaged 17.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.6 blocks. Not to be outdone, Middleton has put up 26.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.6 steals, and 2.8 three-pointers.
Oklahoma City could own the offensive glass in this matchup, as it ranks first in the NBA in offensive rebound percentage at 30.4%. Conversely, Milwaukee places 30th in the league on the defensive backboards with a defensive rebound percentage of 72.6%.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Thunder won the first game 131-123. Khris Middleton scored a game-high with 36 points.
The Bucks enter the game with records of 26-36 Straight Up (SU) and 31-30-1 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 26-36 SU and 31-30-1 ATS versus the Western Conference. Milwaukee has averaged 112.1 points per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 99.3. 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 18.7 points off turnovers per game.
Across the court, Oklahoma City has a SU record of 42-20 and an ATS record of 24-36-2. When traveling to play against teams in the Eastern Conference, Oklahoma City has a record of SU, but only 9-20 ATS. The Thunder rank second in the league in scoring, averaging 110.0 points per game. The Thunder are a force on the boards, grabbing a league-best 47.9 rebounds per game. When it comes to defending the rim, the Thunder are one of the best in the league with an average of 6.2 blocks per game.
With the Thunder’s last win against Milwaukee, their SU record rises to 7-3 over the Bucks in the last 10 games. Additionally, the Thunder lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – OKC
Notes
“Milwaukee is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home”.
“Milwaukee is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee’s last 7 games at home”.
“Milwaukee is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee’s last 6 games when playing Oklahoma City”.
“Milwaukee is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City”.
“Milwaukee is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee’s last 5 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City”.
“Oklahoma City is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City’s last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee”.
Oklahoma City ranks second in points per game with 110.0, while Milwaukee ranks 18th in points allowed with an average of 103.3 given up.
Milwaukee ranks 19th in points allowed per home game (102.0 PPG), while Oklahoma City ranks second in points per away game with 111.8.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Thunder are 23-2 on the season. When the Bucks score fewer than 100, they are a subpar 9-25.
Oklahoma City is 19-18 when allowing 100 or more points this season. The Bucks have a solid 17-11 record when hitting triple digits.
The Bucks have a defensive rating of 106.3 (ranked 21st), while the Thunder rank second for their offensive rating of 110.3.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking third in the league with a FG% of 47.6%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Milwaukee Bucks have an abysmal 2-16 record.
The Milwaukee Bucks rank higher in field goal percentage (fourth) than effective field goal percentage (14th), while the Oklahoma City Thunder rank the same for both metrics (third).
Milwaukee makes an average of 23.0 assists per game (ranked eighth), while Oklahoma City makes 22.7 assists per game (ranked 11th).
With 6.2 blocks per game, the Oklahoma City Thunder rank third in the league. The Milwaukee Bucks are in the top half of NBA teams for blocking, ranking sixth with 5.7 blocks per game.
The Milwaukee Bucks are a top-15 offensive rebounding team, currently ranked 15th for the season. The Oklahoma City Thunder rank near the very top (fourth) in defensive rebounding.
The Milwaukee Bucks make an average of 8.0 steals per game. When the Oklahoma City Thunder allow 7 or more steals, they are a winning 31-16.
