Through 1 Quarter
The Milwaukee Bucks are ahead after one, as expected, but they’ll have to keep working the rest of the way. It’s still tight after one quarter, with Milwaukee leading 29-23 over the Houston Rockets.
The Bucks have been relying on power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has ten points along with three boards and one block, and small forward Pat Connaughton, who has six points in addition to three rebounds and two steals. Houston hasn’t had any offensive standouts so far with all players held to six points or fewer.
Who’s Playing
Milwaukee @ Houston
Current Records: Milwaukee 16-10; Houston 8-16
What to Know
The Houston Rockets and the Milwaukee Bucks are even-steven against one another since January of 2016 (6-6), but not for long. Houston will stay at home another game and welcome the Bucks at 8 p.m. ET Dec. 10 at Toyota Center. If the contest is anything like Milwaukee’s 141-133 victory from their previous meeting in May, the scorekeeper will be kept real busy.
The Rockets were able to grind out a solid win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, winning 114-104. Houston’s shooting guard Josh Christopher filled up the stat sheet, picking up 18 points.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee came up short against the Miami Heat on Wednesday, falling 113-104. A silver lining for Milwaukee was the play of point guard Jrue Holiday, who had 27 points.
Houston is expected to lose this next one by 9. They are currently two-for-two against the spread in their most recent games, however, a trend bettors might want to take into account.
The Rockets’ win brought them up to 8-16 while the Bucks’ defeat pulled them down to 16-10. A pair of defensive stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: Houston is fifth worst in the league in points allowed per game, with 111.5 on average. Milwaukee’s defense has more to brag about, as they they have been holding their opponents to a field goal percentage of 43.30%, which places them third in the league. So the cards are definitely stacked in their favor.
How To Watch
- When: Friday at 8 p.m. ET
- Where: Toyota Center — Houston, Texas
- TV: ATTSN Southwest
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Ticket Cost: $29.00
Odds
The Bucks are a big 9-point favorite against the Rockets, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Bucks as an 8.5-point favorite.
Over/Under: -110
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Series History
Houston and Milwaukee both have six wins in their last 12 games.
- May 07, 2021 – Milwaukee 141 vs. Houston 133
- Apr 29, 2021 – Houston 143 vs. Milwaukee 136
- Aug 02, 2020 – Houston 120 vs. Milwaukee 116
- Oct 24, 2019 – Milwaukee 117 vs. Houston 111
- Mar 26, 2019 – Milwaukee 108 vs. Houston 94
- Jan 09, 2019 – Milwaukee 116 vs. Houston 109
- Mar 07, 2018 – Houston 110 vs. Milwaukee 99
- Dec 16, 2017 – Houston 115 vs. Milwaukee 111
- Jan 23, 2017 – Milwaukee 127 vs. Houston 114
- Jan 18, 2017 – Houston 111 vs. Milwaukee 92
- Feb 29, 2016 – Milwaukee 128 vs. Houston 121
- Jan 22, 2016 – Houston 102 vs. Milwaukee 98
Injury Report for Houston
- Danuel House Jr.: Out (Ankle)
- Kevin Porter: Out (Thigh)
- Usman Garuba: Out (Thigh)
- Jalen Green: Out (Hamstring)
- John Wall: Out (Not Injury Related)
Injury Report for Milwaukee
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: Game-Time Decision (Quadriceps)
- George Hill: Out (Knee)
- Semi Ojeleye: Out (Calf)
- Donte DiVincenzo: Out (Ankle)
- Brook Lopez: Out (Back)
