The Milwaukee Bucks will host a showdown against the Phoenix Suns at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Mar. 30 and can be seen on FWi and FAZ.
The Bucks were blown out by the Hornets 115-91 on Saturday. John Henson was the team’s leading scorer, putting up 19 points. The Suns, meanwhile, are coming off a 121-116 loss at the hands of the Timberwolves on Monday. Brandon Knight had a team-high 30 points.
Knight has been on a tear over the last five games for the Suns, averaging 21.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 3.5 three-pointers.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Bucks won the first game 101-95. In the victory, Khris Middleton led all scorers on the team with 26 points.
The Bucks have gone 30-44 Straight Up (SU) and 36-36-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a record of 30-44 SU and 36-36-2 ATS versus the Western Conference. Milwaukee has consistently been near the top of the league in terms of field goal percentage, currently ranking fifth in the league with a FG% of .466. 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 18.6 points off turnovers per game.
On the other side, the Suns have a record of 31-43 ATS and 20-54 SU. Although they’ve done very well in road games against divisional foes (1-7), Phoenix sports a lackluster 3-5 record ATS.
The Bucks’ win over Phoenix in their last game wasn’t enough for them to overtake the Suns in the recent head-to-head series. Their record is now 4-6 SU over the most recent 10 meetings. The Suns also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – Mil
Notes
Phoenix ranks 22nd in points per game with 100.6, while Milwaukee ranks 15th in points allowed with an average of 102.9 given up.
Phoenix ranks 25th in points per away game with 97.7 points, while Milwaukee ranks 18th in points allowed at home with 101.8.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Bucks are 17-8 on the season. When the Suns score fewer than 100, they are an abysmal 2-34.
Milwaukee is a subpar 13-36 when it gives up 100 or more points. Phoenix has an 18-20 record when it hits the century mark.
The Suns have a defensive rating of 108.2 (ranked 29th). The Bucks rank 23rd for their offensive rating of 103.0.
The Phoenix Suns average 100.6 possessions per game and 1.000 points per possession. The Milwaukee Bucks earn fewer possessions with 96.0, but they score more points with 1.030.
The Milwaukee Bucks average an effective field goal percentage of 49.9% this season. The Phoenix Suns have an underachieving record of 6-45 when opponents have an EFF% of 49.9% or greater.
On average, Milwaukee attempts 15.0 three pointers and Phoenix attempts 25.0 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Bucks are winless at 0-3, while the Suns have a poor 12-33 record.
The Milwaukee Bucks, with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.59, rank 16th in the NBA. The Phoenix Suns have a lower A/TO (1.26), ranking 30th.
The Milwaukee Bucks are one of the worst rebounding teams in the league with just 41.6 per game. The Phoenix Suns average 44.1 rebounds (ranked 12th).
The Phoenix Suns rank eighth in offensive rebounding, while the Milwaukee Bucks rank 29th in defensive rebounding.
Milwaukee is one of the top teams in forced turnovers, with opponents averaging a TOV% of 15.3% (ranked seventh). Phoenix has a poor record of 13-33 SU this season when its TOV% reaches 15.3% or greater.
