The Milwaukee Bucks host the Brooklyn Nets to open the 2021-22 NBA season on Tuesday evening. Milwaukee is the reigning NBA champion after upending the Phoenix Suns in the 2021 NBA Finals. The Bucks are led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, with quality units on both ends. The Nets are keyed by Kevin Durant and James Harden, with Kyrie Irving out of action for the opener and beyond.
Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET in Milwaukee. Caesars Sportsbook lists Milwaukee as a one-point favorite in its latest Nets vs. Bucks odds, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is set at 236. Before making any Bucks vs. Nets picks, be sure to see the 2021 NBA Opening Night predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned almost $9,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three seasons. The model finished up almost $600 on its top-rated picks last season and enters the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 100-66 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Nets vs. Bucks and just released its coveted NBA picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Bucks vs. Nets:
- Nets vs. Bucks spread: Bucks -1
- Nets vs. Bucks over-under: 236 points
- Nets vs. Bucks money line: Bucks -120, Nets +100
- NETS: The Nets were 21-20 against the spread in 2020-21 road games
- BUCKS: The Bucks were 26-21 against the spread at home in 2020-21
Featured Game | Milwaukee Bucks vs. Brooklyn Nets
Why the Nets can cover
Brooklyn was the best offensive team in the NBA last season, and that provides a sky-high baseline. The Nets scored 117.3 points per 100 possessions last season, No. 1 in the NBA, and Brooklyn was a top-two team in field-goal percentage, 2-point percentage and 3-point percentage. The Bucks are very good defensively, but Milwaukee does have a weakness beyond the 3-point arc. The Bucks ranked in the bottom five in 3-point volume allowed and in the bottom three in 3-point accuracy (38.4 percent) allowed last season.
Brooklyn also works well on the margins, with top-10 marks in free-throw volume and accuracy, as well as a top-eight mark in assists. Defensively, the Nets do not project to be elite, but they contest shots at a high level. Brooklyn finished in the top 10 of the NBA in overall shooting efficiency allowed last season, with above-average marks in free-throw prevention and blocked shots.
Why the Bucks can cover
The Bucks are tremendous on both offense and defense. Milwaukee was a top-five offensive team in 2020-21, scoring 116.5 points per 100 possessions, and the Bucks finished in the top-five in field-goal percentage (48.7 percent), 3-point percentage (38.9 percent) and 2-point percentage (55.4 percent). The team’s offense is led by Antetokounmpo, who averaged 28.1 points and 11.0 rebounds during the 2020-21 regular season before putting up 30.2 points and 12.8 rebounds per game in the playoffs.
Defensively, Milwaukee clamped down on opponents in the playoffs after finishing with a top-10 mark in overall efficiency during the regular season. The Bucks were No. 2 in the NBA in 2-point shooting allowed (50.7 percent), while also allowing the fewest free-throw attempts (18.8 per game) in the NBA. Milwaukee combines tremendous size with the ability to switch defensively, and the Bucks are also a high-end rebounding team, pulling down 75.5 percent of available rebounds on the defensive glass last season.
How to make Nets vs. Bucks picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the point total with the teams combining for 231 points. It also says one side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time. You can only see the model’s Nets vs. Bucks pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Bucks vs. Nets? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Nets vs. Bucks spread you need to jump on Tuesday, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
