Two of the biggest stars in the Eastern Conference will square off Wednesday as Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the Milwaukee Bucks (26-14) take on Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks (19-21). The Hawks will host this one at the State Farm Arena, with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 pm ET.
Milwaukee comes into this one after winning their last contest 111-107 on the road against the New York Knicks. In the win, Antetokounmpo had a team-high 22 points, to go along with 10 rebounds and five assists.
Atlanta also picked up a win in their last contest, beating the Los Angeles Clippers 112-108 on Sunday. Trae Young had a game-high 30 points, while De’Andre Hunter added 20 in the victory.
The Bucks are slight favorites Wednesday despite playing on the road. They are -130 to win, while the Hawks’ moneyline sits at +110. The spread features Atlanta as 2-point underdogs (-110), and the over/under for total points is 232.5.
Milwaukee Looks To Stay Above .500 On The Road
At 16-5, the Milwaukee Bucks have been dominant at home. On the road, though, they are just a game above .500 (10-9) and will look to keep a winning record on the road when they travel to Atlanta.
Heading into this contest, the Bucks sit third in the Eastern Conference, 2.5 games behind the Boston Celtics. They will look to improve their play as of late, as they are just 4-6 in their last 10 games.
Offensively, the Bucks rank 19th in the NBA, averaging 112.4 points per game (107.2 on the road). They are led by superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. The “Greek Freak” is averaging 31.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in 34 games this season.
With Khris Middleton still out with a knee injury, others have had to pick up the pace like Jrue Holiday (18.1 points, 5 rebounds, 7.1 assists), Brook Lopez (14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds), and Bobby Portis (14.1 points, 10.1 rebounds).
Defensively, Milwaukee ranks eighth overall, allowing opponents just 111.1 points per game.
Atlanta Hopes To Pick Up Ground In The Conference
It has been a disappointing season for the Hawks thus far. At 19-21, they sit ninth in the Eastern Conference, 9.5 games out of first place. While they are 11-8 at home, they are just 13-14 against conference foes. They will look to improve that conference record Tuesday.
Atlanta is led offensively by point guard Trae Young. In 36 games, he is averaging 27.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 9.8 assists per game.
Dejounte Murray is also having a nice season, averaging 20.4 points on 44.7% shooting from the field. He is also chipping in 5.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game.
These two have helped Atlanta’s offense rank 11th in the NBA in scoring, averaging 115.3 points per game.
Atlanta struggles a bit more on the defensive side. They rank 22nd in the league, allowing an average of 116.4 points per game.
Take Bucks To Win And Cover
Both of these teams have superstars that are capable of leading their respective teams to a victory in this one. With that being said, defense will be the biggest factor in this one.
While the Hawks’ offense has statistically been stronger than the Bucks, Milwaukee still has the ammo to get points in bunches. Antetokounmpo should be able to dominate inside, especially if Clint Capela, who is questionable with a calf issue, is out.
This one might stay close through much of the contest, but expect Milwaukee’s defense to slowly allow the Bucks to pull away when it is all said and done. Take the Bucks to win and to cover the modest 2-point spread (-110).
