Two of the best teams in the NBA will meet up for a primetime matchup on Tuesday night when the Milwaukee Bucks host the Houston Rockets. This game will also feature the two frontrunners in the MVP race in Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden. There will be plenty of points, and highlight-reel plays in this game.
Houston comes into this game having won five of their last six games, and are climbing up the standings in the Western Conference. The Rockets bring a 47-27 record into this game and are in third place in the West. Milwaukee looks to be locked into the top spot in the Eastern Conference and comes into this game with a league-best 55-19 record. The Bucks are -3.5 point favorites over the Rockets in this game.
Bucks Are Banged Up
Despite having the best record in the league, the Bucks come into this game with a ton of injury concerns. Milwaukee will be without starting guard Malcolm Brogdon for the foreseeable future, and Nikola Mirotic is out as well. The Bucks are averaging a league-best 117.5 points per game this season, but their offense will be limited without those players. Milwaukee is solid on defense as well, allowing just 108.1 points per game.
All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the star for the Bucks all season long and will be looking to outshine James Harden in this game. The “Greek Freak” leads the team with 27.4 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game. Even though he can score on almost anyone, expect Antetokounmpo to focus more on the defensive end of the floor in this game. The Bucks defense will need to play well to win this one.
James Harden Simply Can’t Be Stopped
Opposing teams have tried almost everything in an attempt to stop James Harden this season, but nothing has worked. Harden leads the league with 36.4 points per game this season and dropped in a 61 point game just last week. The Rockets are still in the middle of an intense battle for playoff seeding, and Harden won’t be slowing down anytime soon. Look for Harden to make a statement in the MVP race as well.
The Rockets have also gotten great contribution from center Clint Capela this season, who missed some time with an injury. Capela has poured in 16.5 points per game this season, while also grabbing 12.6 rebounds. Houston has had some issues on the defensive end of the floor, and they will have to take care of that if they are going to get this win.
Rockets Roll Over Injured Bucks
Watching Antetokounmpo and Harden go at it is worth the price of admission, but both of these teams are terrific as well. Neither team will want to slow this game down, and there will be an opportunity for some great plays in this game. If the Bucks had a full squad, then they would win this game, but they are missing some key pieces. Houston will take advantage of this and come away with a big victory on Tuesday night. Bet the Houston Rockets +3.5 over the Milwaukee Bucks.
