New York Knicks (23-26) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (30-20)
January 28, 2022 10:00 pm EDT
The Line: Milwaukee Bucks -9.5; Over/Under: +216
(Get latest betting odds)
The New York Knicks invade the Fiserv Forum to do battle with the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.
The New York Knicks have been in a rut as they’ve lost five of their past six games overall and they will be hoping to avoid a third straight defeat after getting routed by the Heat in a 110-96 road loss on Wednesday. Obi Toppin led the team in scoring with 18 points on seven of nine shooting off the bench, RJ Barrett added 17 points while Immanuel Quickley chipped in with 12 points and seven assists off the bench. As a team, the Knicks shot just 42 percent from the field and 15 of 44 from the 3-point line as they scored just 16 points in the first quarter to fall behind by double-digits early and things only got worse in the third quarter where they trailed by as many as 30 points.
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks have been in decent shape as they were riding a three-game win streak before getting stopped in their tracks by the Cavaliers in a 115-99 road loss on Wednesday. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the team with 26 points and nine rebounds, Bobby Portis added 22 points while Khris Middleton chipped in with 21 points. As a team, the Bucks shot 46 percent from the field and nine of 32 from the 3-point line as they got off to a quick start and scored 35 points in the first quarter, before they were always fighting an uphill battle after the Cavaliers outscored them by 39-20 in the third quarter.
Looking at the betting trends, the Knicks are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games following a loss and 4-1 ATS in their last five games as an underdog. The Bucks are 0-4 ATS in their last four games against a team with a losing record, 2-5 ATS in their last seven home games and 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall.
Head to head, the under is 4-0 in the last four meetings overall and the Knicks are 3-8 ATS in the last 11 meetings overall.
The Bucks will again be without Rodney Hood while Grayson Allen is listed as day to day, while the Knicks are still without Nerlens Noel and Derrick Rose. The Bucks were building some good momentum before getting routed by the Cavaliers in their last outing, while the Knicks have really cooled off lately and they’re still getting little support from the struggling Julius Randle. I’m not comfortable with the hefty line, but I think the Bucks take care of business in this spot.
