Milwaukee Bucks Vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: Predictions, Starting Lineups (1/17/24)
Can the Milwaukee Bucks extend their winning streak to four games on Wednesday night against the shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers? Find our Milwaukee Bucks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers predictions, betting picks, and analysis below!
Milwaukee Bucks Vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction
After dropping four games in a five-game stretch, with two losses coming to Indiana, one on the road against Houston, and the last one at home to Utah, the Milwaukee Bucks have since turned things around.
The Bucks have won three consecutive games, including a 33-point beatdown of the Boston Celtics, a one-point overtime win versus Sacramento, and a double-digit victory against the Curry-less Warriors.
Now, Milwaukee hits the road, and its first test will be against a Cavaliers squad that has quietly strung together five straight victories, all of which were on their home floor. After finishing the first 17 games at home close to .500 (9-8), Cleveland finally seemed to have found its groove at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Or, has it?
The Cavaliers didn’t face any teams with a .500 record or better during that span. As a matter of fact, they hosted teams with a combined record of 52-129. Yikes.
Cleveland will be matched up against a far superior Bucks frontcourt that can spread the floor and force Jarrett Allen away from the basket due to the three-point shooting of Brook Lopez (43% from three in his past four games) and Bobby Portis (38% from three this season).
Meanwhile, Giannis will likely be defended by a combination of Dean Wade and Georges Niang. Neither player has a remote chance of stopping the Greek Freak due to his size, strength, speed, and athleticism. In their last matchup, Giannis finished with an impressive 34 points and 16 rebounds but could be in for an even bigger outing tonight.
Without Evan Mobley and Darius Garland to fill out the offensive talent on this team, there is little hope that they can win in this spot, especially since they allow opponents to shoot a relatively high percentage from deep on their home floor (36.9%!)
The Bucks won by eight in Cleveland the last time these two teams played on December 29th, despite offensive explosions from Donovan Mitchell (34 points) and Jarrett Allen (30 points.) Expect a similar outcome tonight.
Milwaukee Bucks Vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction: Bucks -4 (-110)
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Milwaukee Bucks Vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Best Odds
The Milwaukee Bucks are four-point road favorites on Wednesday against the Cavaliers. Cleveland has Moneyline odds of +145 to grab a home win against one of the championship favorites, while the Bucks are -175 to secure their fourth consecutive win. Further, the point total for this bout stands at 238 points, with a slight advantage for the Under (-112.)
Milwaukee Bucks Starting Lineup
PG: Damian Lillard
SG: Malik Beasley
SF: Khris Middleton
PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo
C: Brook Lopez
Cleveland Cavaliers Starting Lineup
PG: Donovan Mitchell
SG: Max Strus
SF: Isaac Okoro
PF: Dean Wade
C: Jarrett Allen
Milwaukee Bucks Vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Injuries
The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to hang on to their fourth place standing in the Eastern Conference despite missing Evan Mobley and Darius Garland for extended periods of time. Mobley (knee) and Garland (jaw) are still out for this matchup against Milwaukee but are progressing well in their respective recoveries. Cleveland also won’t have Ty Jerome (ankle) available to play, while Caris LeVert (wrist) is questionable and will likely be a game-time decision.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee has a clean injury report now that Jae Crowder (groin) is set to make his return against Cleveland on Wednesday night. The Bucks currently do not have any other player listed on the injury report; however, that can always change, so keep an eye on it leading up to tip-off.
