The Milwaukee Bucks (24-17, 8-10 Away) face off against the New Orleans Pelicans (12-32, 8-16 Home) tonight at 7:00 p.m. in New Orleans. The Bucks are going into tonight’s contest aiming to extend a four-game winning streak where they have beaten their opponents by 14 points or more.

Milwaukee already announced that guard AJ Green will not be playing in tonight’s contest and has declared forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, forward Khris Middleton, and forward MarJon Beauchamp as game-time decisions. For the Pelicans, forward Brandon Ingram and forward Herbert Jones are out, while guard Dejounte Murray, forward Zion Williamson, and rookie center Yves Missi are game-time decisions.

After comparing the two teams’ efficiency on http://www.nbastuffer.com, they’re nearly opposites. New Orleans ranks in the bottom six of both offensive and defensive efficiency whereas Milwaukee ranks in the top 11. This statistic alone tells you the tale of two very different seasons. New Orleans isn’t trying to be competitive at this point in the season, after all-around struggles and injuries derailing a promising year, they now sit in a position to sell in an attempt to get a higher draft pick. They’re underperforming after making an offseason acquisition of Dejounte Murray from the Hawks, and the stats tell you exactly that. The Bucks on the other hand want to win, and they want to win now, which the stats show they’re at least trying.

When it comes to betting on this game, there are a few things that scare me. Both teams are hot against the spread, being 6-4 and 7-3 in their last 10 games. There’s one promising thing about the Pelicans defense this season and that’s been their ability to defend the perimeter. By no means is it elite, but there’s promise. Jose Alvarado who’s been a big part of their perimeter defense can give Bucks star guard Damian Lillard problems with his high stamina, and quick-paced playstyle which would have a big impact on the game.

Thanks to Lillard and the injured AJ Green, Milwaukee ranks 8th in three-point shots made per game and has the NBA’s second-best three-point shooting percentage at 39%. If problems are created for Lillard, the Bucks offense will be very reliant on production for Antetokounmpo, Lopez, Middleton, and Portis, two of whom could miss tonight’s game.

Not to give Bucks fans any reason to doubt this team tonight, but there is a world where the Pelicans pull off an upset. There are looming decisions to be made that will have a major influence on the spread and odds for tonight’s game which has me hesitant on placing bets this early in the day. For now, don’t expect anything less than a Bucks marginal victory.

Betting Information