Brooklyn Nets vs Milwaukee Bucks 2/26/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Predictions

Brooklyn Nets vs. Milwaukee Bucks Matchup Preview (2/26/22)

Another installment of one of the new rivalries in an already competitive Eastern Conference will take place on Saturday night when the Brooklyn Nets try to bounce back against the Milwaukee Bucks after a double-digit loss to the Celtics. Brooklyn has merely won two of its last 15 games, which is an absolutely horrendous run for an NBA team that was once considered a championship favorite. While the Nets do get some benefit of the doubt because they have been without their stars, including Kevin Durant, they still should not be losing so consistently. Luckily, the added depth of Goran Dragic, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond should help mitigate future losing streaks. Still, they will miss James Harden, who was an integral part of their offense in every aspect.

Milwaukee dropped a home game to the Philadelphia 76ers in its last game before the All-Star break, but this is a somewhat forgivable loss. The Sixers were fresh off an embarrassing 50-point loss at home to the Boston Celtics in front of their fans, and that game had “bounce back win” written all over it. Since mid-January, the Bucks have posted the fourth-best offensive rating in the NBA, though, which could be trouble for a Nets team that has not figured out their defensive identity and is still down several players. Take a look below and see who I have winning this game and which of the popular bets I will be on under the betting odds section!

Brooklyn Nets vs. Milwaukee Bucks Betting Odds

Milwaukee has been a team that has rode small waves of momentum all season but is just as capable of dropping games that it should win nine out of ten times. Recently, the Bucks have been a little easier to predict than before, except for their horrendous double-digit loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on February 14th. Still, the Nets’ defensive rating has been inexplicably bad since January 1st, only besting the Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets, who are clearly tanking. In that same metric, during that span, Milwaukee ranks middle-of-the-road in defensive rating, but it at least displays some semblance of effort. If Kevin Durant is still out, I will favor the Bucks against the spread in this matchup.

How To Watch

Date: 2/26/22
Time: 8:30 PM ET
Arena: Fiserv Forum – Milwaukee, WI
Channel: ABC

Live Stream Brooklyn Nets vs. Milwaukee Bucks Free Online: Watch Every NBA Game

You can stream this game online for free. You can get a free 7-day trial and live stream NBA games from any device. Click the banner below and start watching.

Brooklyn Nets Starting Lineup

PG: Patty Mills
SG: Seth Curry
SF: Bruce Brown Jr.
PF: James Johnson
C: Andre Drummond

Brooklyn Nets Analysis

Steve Nash said the only thing keeping Ben Simmons from seeing the floor in a Nets uniform for the first time is his conditioning; it seems none of the Nets’ concerns stem from the shape that his game is in right now. However, we do know that Simmons will likely make his Brooklyn Nets debut after Kevin Durant has already come back. This is good news for a Nets team that has fallen from atop the Eastern Conference to nearly being out of the playoff picture since Durant went down with a knee injury. There is even more good news for Brooklyn: the vaccine mandate may get lifted in New York within the next month, which would allow Kyrie Irving to play home games. This would be huge considering that the playoffs are right around the corner, and the organization will want Simmons, Irving, and Durant to get as much time together to build chemistry as possible. In the meantime, the Nets need to squeak out a few wins to avoid being on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs. Unfortunately, a 23-point home loss to the Boston Celtics just last night does not help the cause. While this is not a “must-win” game, it certainly is a “win would greatly help” game.

Milwaukee Bucks Starting Lineup

PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Grayson Allen
SF: Khris Middleton
PF: Bobby Portis
C: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Milwaukee Bucks Analysis

Milwaukee has been one of the best offensive teams in the NBA over the past five weeks, ranking fourth in offensive rating since January 18th, which is exactly what we have expected of this team for the whole season. Injuries and COVID have slightly derailed the Bucks’ chemistry at times this season, like most of the teams in the NBA, but they have finally been able to string together some momentum. In their last game, they lost to the Philadelphia 76ers, but it was by no means a bad loss. If Milwaukee can become a bit more consistent on the defensive end, it could be the best team in the Eastern Conference once again, but it is not quite there now. This would be a great time to get back to where it was last season around this time!

Brooklyn Nets vs. Milwaukee Bucks Daily Fantasy Picks

Since joining them four games ago, Seth Curry has been a huge offensive contributor for the Brooklyn Nets. Curry has posted three 20+ point games on solid efficiency during that span. Additionally, Curry has brought down seven rebounds in two of those games and dished out five and six assists as well. While you’re not always going to get perfectly well-rounded offensive outings from Curry, he can still be a huge contributor, especially with Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, and Goran Dragic not in the lineup.

An obvious choice for this matchup in DFS is one of the favorites to win MVP this season, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis has been Herculean when playing against the Brooklyn Nets over the past year. He has averaged nearly a triple-double in two games this season, posting roughly 32 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. Giannis has the Nets’ “card,” and considering how bad Brooklyn has been on the defensive end, he should post insane numbers once again.