Knicks Look to Bounce Back vs. Bucks

The New York Knicks have been struggling to stay afloat in the Eastern Conference lately. They have lost five of their last six games and that strong start to the season has faded.

Their path doesn’t get any easier as next up is a trip to Milwaukee to face off with the defending NBA champs. Milwaukee was on a three-game winning streak before falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers in blowout fashion the other night.

Both of these teams are hoping for a big bounce back game. Which is the best option in terms of NBA game betting? Let’s take a closer look at the NBA odds.

• Game: New York Knicks (23-26) at Milwaukee Bucks (30-20)
• Location: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
• Day/Time: Friday, 10 p.m. ET
• Television: ESPN

New York Knicks at Milwaukee Bucks

Knicks Can’t Score Consistently

Throughout the offseason, it was pretty apparent that the Knicks were a strong defensive team in need of offensive help.

They grabbed Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier to add onto their roster but have stayed at the bottom of the league in terms of points scored per game, ranking 27th.

They also don’t have a 20-plus point per game scorer as Julius Randle is the closest at 18.7. Walker and Fournier are both around 13 points, which is quite a disappointment.

Nobody on this roster has consistently stepped up and filled that role as the go-to scorer like people thought Randle would do. It’s been rough sledding since Derrick Rose went down due to injury.

Somebody has to get it going against this talented Bucks offense or the Knicks will stay slumping.

Milwaukee Excellent at Both Ends

The Bucks are the reigning champions for a reason. It feels like a lot of people forgot about the talent on this roster, specifically with Giannis Antetokounmpo on the team.

He is putting up MVP-caliber numbers and still flying under the radar, averaging 28.5 points, 11.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game for them.

Khris Middleton has been a terrific option when Giannis gets defended as well, pouring in 20.1 points per contest.

With these two leading the way, Milwaukee has the fifth-ranked offense in the league, tied with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Defensively, the Bucks are ranked 14th. They are filled with talent and play aggressively on both ends of the floor, something that the Knicks may not be prepared to handle.

Bucks Large Favorites

Milwaukee has been the better team over this past month and it has resulted in getting listed as 8½-point favorites in the sportsbook.

The Knicks may have struggled, but losing by nearly double digits is a tough call. In their two meetings this season, New York won by 15 and lost by two.

The Knicks seem like the better choice if you bet online against the spread here. The over/under is set at 217. Even with the Bucks’ high-powered offense that total should go under, as both previous games didn’t go over 217.

Parlay: Knicks +8½ and Under 215.5

Pick: Under 217

Pick: Knicks +8½