Milwaukee Looking To Keep Second In The East
The Milwaukee Bucks go for a third straight victory when they take on the host Detroit Pistons on Friday night in a key contest for the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Milwaukee is coming off a win over the Boston Celtics that gave them a half-game lead for second place in the standings. Detroit is looking for a second straight win over the Bucks as it builds for the future with its young players. This one will be more competitive than you might think, so before a bet online is made on this contest, check out our preview of the game.
Let’s check the latest NBA picks, stats, injury reports, and NBA odds for Bucks vs Pistons. We’ve plenty of NBA predictions.
Bucks Starting To Gear Up For Postseason
In an important game for both teams, the Milwaukee Bucks pulled out a win at home over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night, showing they’re ready for their title defense. The ‘defense’ is going to be made on the defensive end, where Milwaukee put it together late for a game-winning 9-0 run to end the game.
“It would be a lot easier if we don’t wait until the last quarter or last couple of minutes to get stops, but it happens,” Milwaukee forward Khris Middleton said after Thursday’s win. “No matter how the game’s going, I just love the way we keep competing.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the main weapon on both ends of the floor for the Bucks, averaging 29.9 points (third in the NBA), 11.6 rebounds (sixth), 5.8 assists (21st) and 1.4 blocks. Antetokounmpo looks hungry for another long playoff run, which is good news for Milwaukee fans.
Middleton is also playing well, finishing with 22 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and two steals in Thursday’s win. The sharp-shooting forward is averaging 20.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.4 assists this season, though he turns it up for the big game and clutch moments.
Guard Jrue Holiday is another key piece to the Bucks’ winning puzzle, averaging 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals. Holiday is probably Milwaukee’s top perimeter defender, which means he’ll have some big assignments ahead of him in the postseason.
Pistons Showing Some Life At End Of Season
The Detroit Pistons have grown as a team and are looking like they’ll be much better next season after they won three straight prior to a loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. Detroit has a number of young players that are growing into their roles, giving Pistons fans hope for the future.
Guard Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, has come on of late, averaging 20.6 points, 6.9 assists and 1.8 steals over his last nine games. In the last three games in which he played 10 or more minutes, Cunningham has averaged 28.6 points, 7.0 assists and 2.6 steals.
Second-year forward Saddiq Bey has also been continuing to improve, showing the ability for big scoring games. He had 31 points in a win over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday but followed that up with just seven points in the loss to Dallas. On the season, Bey is averaging 16.2 points and 5.5 rebounds.
Detroit will be missing a key piece up front, as Marvin Bagley III will be sidelined with a hip injury for the fourth straight game. Bagley came to the Pistons in a trade deadline deal with the Sacramento Kings and has averaged 14.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in 18 games with Detroit.
Milwaukee Bucks vs Detroit Pistons Head-to-Head
The Detroit Pistons will go for a second straight win over the Milwaukee Bucks, having defeated them on the road in early January. Milwaukee took the first two games of the season against the Pistons, including the only game played in Detroit in November.
The Pistons’ win in the last matchup, snapped a 12-game winning streak for the Bucks in the series, dating back to the 2018-19 season. Milwaukee has been playing better and is healthier, which makes the NBA lines giving it the edge in this one no surprise.
Milwaukee Bucks vs Detroit Pistons Game Information
- Game: Bucks (50-30) vs Pistons (23-57)
- Location: Little Caesars Arena
- Day/Time: Friday, April 8th, 7:00 p.m. ET
- Bucks vs Pistons live stream: NBA Game Pass
Milwaukee Bucks vs Detroit Pistons Betting Lines
Milwaukee Bucks vs Detroit Pistons Prediction
The Milwaukee Bucks are looking for a deep playoff run, and they’d like to have the home-court advantage against as many opponents as possible, so staying in second place is a goal for the team. While the Detroit Pistons have been playing better in recent weeks, they won’t have enough to get the victory in this one
When doing your NBA betting, take Milwaukee to win and cover on the road.
Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -5 (-110)
