Charlotte Hornets (15-36) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (33-17)
January 31, 2023 8:00 pm EDT
The Line: Milwaukee Bucks -12.5; Over/Under: +239.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Charlotte Hornets invade the Fiserv Forum to do battle with the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night.
The Charlotte Hornets have been in decent form as they’ve won four of their last six games overall and they will be aiming for a third straight victory after sneaking past the Heat in a 122-117 home win on Sunday. Terry Rozier led the team with 31 points, six rebounds and seven assists, PJ Washington added 27 points with five assists, Gordon Hayward scored 20 points on seven of seven shooting while LaMelo Ball tallied 19 points with seven rebounds and seven assists. As a team, the Hornets shot 54 percent from the field and 15 of 40 from the 3-point line as they worked hard to claw their way back from a 13-point deficit before they held off a late rally from the Heat to hang on for the narrow victory.
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks have been heating up again as they’ve won six of their last seven games overall and they will be gunning for a fifth straight victory after making light work of the Pelicans in a 135-110 home win on Sunday. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the team with 50 points, 13 rebounds and four assists, Jrue Holiday added 17 points with seven rebounds and six assists while Brook Lopez chipped in with 15 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. As a team, the Bucks shot 55 percent from the field and 17 of 43 from the 3-point line as they set the tone with 37 points in the first quarter to take the early double-digit lead and they just never took their foot off the gas, scoring 73 points in the second half to make it a complete blowout.
Looking at the betting trends, the Hornets are 0-4 ATS in their last four games against a team above .600 and 1-4 ATS in their last five road games against a team with a winning home record. The Bucks are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 home games, 4-0 ATS in their last four games against a team with a losing record and 5-2 ATS in their last seven games overall.
Head to head, the over is 5-1 in the last six meetings in Milwaukee and the Hornets are 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings overall.
The Hornets are still missing Kelly Oubre Jr and Cody Martin, while the Bucks are still without Bobby Portis, but MarJon Beauchamp is listed as probable to return. The Hornets have come to life with four wins in their last six games after struggling for the entire season, so while I like the Bucks to get the win at home, I just feel this line is a bit too hefty. Give me the Hornets to hang around long enough to get the backdoor cover in this spot.
