Brooklyn Nets vs Milwaukee Bucks Preview (10/26/22): Prediction, Starting Lineups, Odds

By Andrew Norton | Oct 26, 2022, 12:50am

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Wednesday night has a couple of great matchups, including the Brooklyn Nets versus the Milwaukee Bucks. In this preview, you can check out the recent injury news, projected starting lineups, and current odds below!

Brooklyn Nets Vs. Milwaukee Bucks Betting Odds

Milwaukee is a four-point favorite against the Brooklyn Nets in Fiserv Forum. The Bucks will still be missing Khris Middleton (left wrist) but have fared well without him at the beginning of the season with a 2-0 record. The point total has held steady at 233.5 points; the sportsbooks are expecting this bout to be high-scoring.

Brooklyn Nets Vs. Milwaukee Bucks Prediction

As mentioned above, Giannis will not have his sidekick/superhero, Khris Middleton, back yet. The Bucks will also be without Pat Connaughton again; however, Grayson Allen and George Hill have done a solid job filling those minutes.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about Jevon Carter and Wesley Matthews, averaging a combined 6.5 points in just shy of 40 minutes of play combined. Connaughton isn’t a world-beating offensive player, but he can knock down threes, rebound, and play consistent defense on the other end of the floor. It’s clear the Bucks are missing him.

Luckily for the Bucks, Brooklyn also lacks depth; it’s riding with an eight-man rotation currently with Seth Curry, Markieff Morris, and T.J. Warren all still listed as out. Milwaukee also has the rest advantage in this matchup as it played its last game on Saturday; Brooklyn had a challenging game on Monday night against the Memphis Grizzlies that went down to the wire.

It’s still early in the season, but a few truths are evident: Milwaukee is a great rebounding team (fourth in team total rebounding percentage), and Brooklyn is atrocious on the glass (29th in that same stat.)

Giannis, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis will have their way with this Nets frontcourt, and unless Durant goes for 50 points, I think Milwaukee wins and covers the spread here.

Betting Trends

Brooklyn is 0-1 ATS on the road in 2022-23
Milwaukee is 1-0 ATS at home in 2022-23

Key Matchups

It’s a matchup of the two stars on each team in this Nets versus Bucks bout! Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant will face off in what would have been described just a year ago as the two best players in the world fighting for the No. 1 spot. While Durant isn’t necessarily considered the second-best player in the world anymore by some, it’s still a matchup that has yielded a lot of unforgettable memories and moments. Kyrie Irving will also have a seemingly tough matchup with defensive standout, Jrue Holiday, widely considered one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, tracking him. Check out more analysis on these matchups below!

Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. Kevin Durant

These two stars have grown to throw metaphorical haymakers at one another every time they step on the floor. Last season, Giannis averaged close to 36 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists, while Durant posted roughly 29 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in three games against each other. While these two aren’t always matched up, they tend to go back and forth late in games. There’s no chance that Brooklyn’s thin, undersized frontcourt can do anything except watch Giannis dunk everything. Advantage: Giannis.

Kyrie Irving vs. Jrue Holiday

I used the phrase “seemingly tough” to describe Irving’s matchup with Jrue Holiday. The truth is that it hardly matters whether he’s facing Holiday or an average defender on another team. Last season, Irving averaged roughly 32 points, five assists, and four rebounds on a 48/40/92 shooting split. Someone could try and argue that’s misleading because there were only two matchups last season between the two; however, Irving’s stats over his last eight matchups versus Holiday are even better. The bottom line is this: Holiday’s defense is somewhat overrated. Irving should again have a big day. Advantage: Irving.

Brooklyn Nets Starting Lineup

PG: Kyrie Irving
SG: Royce O’Neale
SF: Kevin Durant
PF: Ben Simmons
C: Nic Claxton

Brooklyn Nets Team Pages

Milwaukee Bucks Starting Lineups

PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Jevon Carter
SF: Grayson Allen
PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo
C: Brook Lopez

Milwaukee Bucks Team Pages

Key Injuries

Brooklyn Nets Injuries: Seth Curry (Out), Markieff Morris (Out), T.J. Warren (Out)

Milwaukee Bucks Injuries: Khris Middleton (Out), Pat Connaughton (Out), Joe Ingles (Out)

Andrew Norton

Drew is one of the NBA Lead Writers at Lineups.com, specializing in betting content such as game predictions and player props. With a deep knowledge of players and prospects, Drew has an extensive edge in covering everything NBA.