The Detroit Pistons (1-5) welcome the reigning NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks (3-4) to Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday. Detroit is 1-1 at home this season, with Milwaukee at 2-1 on the road. The Bucks will be aiming to stop a three-game losing streak and also seeking a win to return to the .500 mark. In terms of injuries, Khris Middleton (protocols), Jrue Holiday (ankle) and Brook Lopez (back) are sidelined for Milwaukee.
Tip-off is at 7 p.m. ET in Detroit. Caesars Sportsbook lists Milwaukee as the 4.5-point road favorite, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 212 in the latest Bucks vs. Pistons odds. Before locking in any Pistons vs. Bucks picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer 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-plus seasons. The model finished up almost $600 on its top-rated picks last season and enters Week 3 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 106-71 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Bucks vs. Pistons and revealed its coveted picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine to see all of the model’s NBA picks. Here are several NBA odds and trends for Pistons vs. Bucks:
- Bucks vs. Pistons spread: Bucks -4.5
- Bucks vs. Pistons over-under: 212 points
- Bucks vs. Pistons money line: Bucks -190, Pistons +160
- MIL: The Bucks are 3-4 against the spread in the last seven games
- DET: The Pistons are 2-4 against the spread this season
Featured Game | Detroit Pistons vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Why the Bucks can cover
Milwaukee has been plagued by injuries this season, and the Bucks won’t be at full strength in this game. However, the Bucks do have one of the best players in the NBA in Giannis Antetokounmpo. The reigning NBA Finals MVP is averaging 27.3 points, 11.1 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game in the early going, and Antetokounmpo averaged 30.2 points and 12.8 rebounds per game during the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
Milwaukee is putting pressure on the rim, posting a top-five mark in 2-point shooting at 53.4 percent, and the Bucks have been a top-tier defense in every season under head coach Mike Budenholzer. The Bucks were a top-five team in field-goal percentage allowed, 2-point percentage allowed, defensive rebound rate and free-throw attempts allowed during the 2020-21 season, and Milwaukee is facing a Pistons offense that has struggled mightily at the outset of the 2021-22 campaign.
Why the Pistons can cover
Detroit has strengths on both ends, and the Pistons are the much healthier team in this game, especially with top overall pick Cade Cunningham not on the injury report after dealing with an ankle issue to open the season. The Pistons are assisting on 59.2 percent of field goals so far this year, landing well above the league average, and Detroit is grabbing nearly 27 percent of missed shots on the offensive glass. The Pistons also rank No. 8 in free-throw creation rate, and the Bucks have been shaky defensively compared to their normal baseline.
Defensively, Detroit is causing havoc in forcing a turnover on 17.6 percent of possessions, and that includes 9.7 steals per game, a top-five figure. The Pistons are also above-average in free-throw prevention (18.3 attempts allowed per game), second-chance points allowed (11.0 per game) and points in the paint allowed (43.3 per game), and Detroit also has home-court advantage in this spot.
How to make Pistons vs. Bucks picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 211 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the model’s picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Bucks vs. Pistons? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
