New Orleans Pelicans at Milwaukee Bucks Betting Prediction 1/29/23

New Orleans Pelicans (26-24 SU, 24-26-0 ATS) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (32-17 SU, 26-20-3 ATS)
When: Sunday, January 29th, 8:00 PM (ET)
Where: Fiserv Forum, WI, Milwaukee
TV: NBA

Point Spread: NO +9.5/Mil -9.5
Total: 234.5
Money Line: New Orleans Pelicans +340/-440

Notable Injuries

Pelicans

• Brandon Ingram (Questionable) Toe`
• Zion Williamson (Out) Hamstring
• Dyson Daniels (Out) Ankle
• EJ Liddell (Out) Knee

Bucks

• Giannis Antetokounmpo (Probable) Knee
• Serge Ibaka (Out) Personal
• Bobby Portis (Out) Knee
• MarJon Beauchamp (Probable) Patella

Recent Form

Heading into the game, New Orleans is 26-24 overall. When taking to the road, New Orleans has a mark of 9-15 and a win percentage of 38%. Currently, the team is 5th in the Western Conference. So far, they are 24-26-0 vs. the spread. New Orleans travels to take on the Bucks, hoping to avoid their 8th straight loss.

New Orleans most recently lost to the Wizards by a score of 113-103. The team high 24 points from CJ McCollum were not enough to come away with the win. The Pelicans were 5-point favorites going into the game.

Heading into the game, Milwaukee is 32-17 overall. When playing at home, Milwaukee has a mark of 19-5 and a win percentage of 79%. Currently, the team is 3rd in the Eastern Conference. So far, they are 26-20-3 vs. the spread. Milwaukee will look to stay hot in today’s game vs. New Orleans as they are the winners of 3 straight games.

In their previous game, the Milwaukee team emerged victorious against the Pacers, winning by a margin of 6 points as predicted. Giannis Antetokounmpo shone for the Bucks, scoring 41 points on a shooting percentage of 55.2%. The Bucks not only won the game but also successfully covered the spread.

The Historicals

In the most recent matchup between the two teams, the Bucks picked up the 128-119 win over the Pelicans. Heading into the game, Milwaukee was the 0.5-point underdogs, giving them an ATS win. This has been the only matchup between the two teams this season. When looking at how these teams have performed vs. the spread in recent matchups, the Pelicans have an ATS mark of 3-2. Yet, the Bucks have averaged more points per game in these contests, at 126 compared to Milwaukee at 120. New Orleans and Milwaukee averaged a combined 246 points per game in these games, leading to an over-under mark of 5-0.

Analysis

This season, New Orleans is among the league leaders in scoring, averaging 115.1 points per game. So far, the Pelicans are also one of the more up-tempo teams in the league, sitting at 100.4 possessions per game. New Orleans comes into the game ranked just 27th in 3-point attempts per game. So far, they have connected on 35.6% of their shots from deep, which places them 24th in the NBA. On defense, the Pelicans allow an average of 110.28 points per game, placing them 13th in the league. So far, teams have shot 36.48% on their looks from outside vs. New Orleans. This figure places them 26th in 3-point shooting defense.

Heading into today’s game, New Orleans will need a strong offensive effort from CJ McCollum and the team’s supporting cast, as Zion Williamson won’t be available vs. Milwaukee. So far, Williamson is averaging 26.0 points per game. McCollum leads the Pelicans at 21.3 points per contest.

This year, the Milwaukee offense is not only near the NBA average in points at 113.6 points per game, but they are also playing at a pace similar to the league average. So far, the Bucks are ranked 14th in possessions per contest. The three-point shot has been a big part of Milwaukee’s offensive game plan, as they are ranked 4th in 3-point attempts per game. So far, they have connected on 36.0% of their looks from the outside. On defense, the Bucks allow an average of 112.13 points per game, placing them 19th in the league. So far, opposing teams are hitting 35.73% of their looks from deep vs. Milwaukee.

Going into today’s game, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the leading scorer for the Milwaukee team with an average of 31.3 points per game. This season, his field goal percentage is 52.7%. The team’s second top scorer is Jrue Holiday, who is averaging 19.6 points per game.

Betting Trends

• The Pelicans are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 road games.
• The Pelicans are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games overall.
• The Bucks are 7-3 ATS in their last ten home games.
• The Bucks are 5-11-2 ATS in their last 18 games following an ATS win.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

The Pelicans have scored 103 or less in six of their last seven games. This total is way too high! I’m betting the UNDER 234.5!