In the Tuesday NBA picks, one of the hottest teams in the league is squaring off with one the hottest players in the league in the NBA Cup quarter-finals.
The 17-9 Orlando Magic, who’ve won 14 of their last 17 games, are in Milwaukee to face the Bucks and their superstar sensation Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak has scored at least 30 points in each of Milwaukee’s past three games and in seven of the last eight the Bucks have played.
Oddsmakers are backing Giannis over the sum of Orlando’s parts. They are setting the Bucks as 7-point home favorites in the NBA picks. The Bucks have won eight of the last 10 games played against Orlando.
Among two NBA Cup games on tap on a light Tuesday NBA schedule, this is the one we are selecting to focus on in our NBA picks and best bets.
Prior to making any bets on your NBA picks, you definitely should be checking out the latest NBA Vegas odds. You can also assess the most recent developments in NBA prop bets. You should also be taking advantage of these Vegas betting site bonuses to make the most of your NBA betting.
Not only are the Magic winning of late, they are also covering. Orlando is 13-4 against the spread in the last 17 games. However, that level of success isn’t found when the Bucks are providing the opposition. Milwaukee is 16-2 SU and 12-6 ATS in the last 18 meetings between these two Eastern Conference clubs.
Orlando is 5-2 SU in the club’s past seven road games. However, the Magic are 0-8 SU in their last eights visits to Fiserv Forum, They are 9-3 ATS in their past 12 games when facing teams from the East.
The Bucks are also on a roll. They are 8-2 SU in the past 10 games and 7-1 SU in their last 10 games at home. However, the Bucks are 1-5 ATS in their last six meetings with Southeast Division clubs.
The under has hit in 13 of Orlando’s past 20 games. However, the over has proven to be the winning play in four of the Magic’s last five games vs Central Division squads.
The over is 5-3 in Milwaukee’s past eight games. In the last 10 head-to-head meetings between the Bucks and Magic, five games have gone over and five games went under.
Milwaukee is 11-6 SU as a betting favorite. The Bucks are just 4-7-1 ATS on their home court. Orlando is 6-10 ATS on the road. The Magic are 2-6 SU as the underdog in the betting line.
The Magic keep rolling despite some injuries to key players. Power forward Paolo Banchero has missed 22 games with an oblique injury. He’s Orlando’s leading scorer. Through five games, he was averaging 29.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists.
As well, small forward Franz Wagner (oblique) and shooting guard Gary Harris (hamstring) are also out. Power forward Jonathan Isaac is questionable due to a hamstring issue.
Wagner tore his right oblique in Friday’s loss to Philadelphia. In Banchero’s absence, he was averaging 26.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game.
Milwaukee has no injuries to report.
Milwaukee is 10-3 SU over the past 13 games. In that span, Antetokounmpo has produced a 59-point game, two games where he’s gone over 40 points and five others in which he’s contributed at least 30 points.
There are those in the game who believe the two-time NBA MVP is enjoying his best season, and the numbers back up that argument. Antetokounmpo is averaging a league-leading 32.5 points per game, which would be a career high.
He’s first in field goals made (269), fifth in rebounding (11.6 per game), fifth in field goal percentage (.611), sixth in total defensive rebounds (199) and 14th in steals per game (1.3). Giannis is also averaging an NBA-best 45.3 points per 100 possessions, is fourth in the NBA in win shares (3.6) and fifth in the league in defensive win shares (2.8).
It’s impressive how well the Magic have played minus former No.1 overall draft pick Banchero. Orlando beat Phoenix on Sunday in the club’s first game without both Banchero and Wagner. They’ve kept it going thanks to the NBA’s top scoring defense.
However, turning in such a lockdown performance at Milwaukee with the Greak Freak playing at his freakish best is going to prove challenging, to say the least. The Bucks are going to win this NBA Cup quarterfinal. However, take the Magic to cover as 7-point road underdogs in the Tuesday NBA picks.
