The Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors are both in the second night of a back-to-back on Tuesday when they face off in Toronto.
Milwaukee pulled off an impressive win without Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton on Monday while the Raptors came back against the New York Knicks to pick up a win in overtime.
This has been a tough year for Toronto, with the team sitting in the No. 11 spot in the East, but the Raptors are starting to play a little better as of late, winning five of their last 10 games.
The Bucks have slipped to the No. 3 spot in the East and with a loss, they could fall behind the Philadelphia 76ers (half a game back) as well.
Giannis’ status is going to be key in this game, but it is possible he just sat out the front end of the back-to-back for rest purposes.
Both of these teams have thrived on the second night of back-to-backs this season. Milwaukee is 4-0-1 against the spread in that spot while the Raptors are 4-2 ATS.
Something has to give in Toronto, so let’s get into the latest odds and my best bet for this contest:
Raptors vs. Bucks odds, spread and total
Raptors vs. Bucks prediction and pick
There’s no doubt that the Raptors have been a far better team at home (14-11 straight up) than on the road (6-13 straight up) this season.
However, the team is just 2-3 against the spread as a home dog this season.
Still, I like getting the Raptors with the points here, especially since Milwaukee has taken a bit of a step back over its last 10 games, ranking 22nd in the league in net rating.
This line is going to move if Antetokounmpo is officially ruled in, but on the chance that he’s out, there’s value in getting five points with Toronto.
The Raptors have been much better offensively this season than the Bucks, ranking 14th in offensive rating compared to Milwaukee at 24th.
Toronto also has the length to throw various bodies at Giannis, including Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, Precious Achiuwa and Chris Boucher.
I’m a little worried about the fatigue factor for the Raptors after playing an overtime game on the road yesterday, but this is a few too many points to give them with the Bucks struggling lately.
Find Peter Dewey’s full betting record here.
—
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.