Nuggets, Bucks Tangle in Matchup Of Former NBA MVPs

Milwaukee earned a 123-108 win at home against the New York Knicks on Friday night, its fourth straight victory at Fiserv Forum. The Bucks are 31-20 and in third place in the Central Division, percentage points behind the second-place Cleveland Cavaliers and a half-game behind the first-place Chicago Bulls.

If you want to bet online on this contest, the NBA lines have the Bucks as 6½-point favorites at home, with the over/under set at 230½ points. A moneyline bet gets you Milwaukee at -240, while Denver is listed at +200.

Repeat Winner?

His opponent on Sunday, Giannis Antetokounmpo, won two straight NBA MVP awards before Nikola Jokic took the crown a season ago. Now Jokic is making a run at his own repeat performance, heating up in every category and coming off a triple-double of 29 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists in Friday’s win over New Orleans. Jokic hit 3-of-4 from 3-point range in the third quarter as the Nuggets pulled away from a two-point halftime advantage.

“When Jok is making 3s, he’s pretty much unguardable,” Denver forward Aaron Gordon said after Friday’s win. “Just the MVP doing MVP things.”

Jokic is averaging 26.2 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 7.7 assists to rank seventh, second, and eighth in the league, respectively. Over the first three games of the current road trip, he’s averaged 27.6 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 9.0 assists.

Forward Will Barton has missed two of the Nuggets’ last three games with illness and is considered probable for Sunday’s contest. Barton is averaging 15.4 points and 4.2 assists per game.

In his first full season with Denver, Gordon is looking more comfortable, averaging 14.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per contest. Gordon is coming off a 20-point performance in Friday’s win.

Recently-acquired guard Bryn Forbes should bring more perimeter scoring with his 3-point shooting touch. Forbes is averaging 8.6 points and has hit 7-of-20 from 3-point range in his first five games with the Nuggets, but he brings championship experience with Milwaukee from last season and had 14 points in Friday’s win.

Rolling Along

The Bucks are in a dogfight for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, with five teams within 1 1/2 games of each other. Milwaukee is 18-8 at home this season compared to 13-12 on the road, so gaining homecourt advantage for as many rounds of the postseason as possible is certainly a key to a repeat title run.

Also key is the play and health of Antetokounmpo, who is playing at an MVP level again this season. Antetokounmpo is averaging 28.8 points (fourth in the league), 11.3 rebounds (seventh), 5.9 assists (21st), and 1.4 blocks per game, but he’s already missed 10 games due to various ailments.

Forward Khris Middleton continues to play an important role as the No. 2 scorer for the Bucks, averaging 20.1 points per game and hitting 38.5% from 3-point range. Middleton can take over a game with his shooting and allows Antetokounmpo to focus on other areas when he gets hot.

Guard Jrue Holiday runs the show for coach Mike Budenholzer, averaging a team-high 6.5 assists while scoring 17.9 points per game. Holiday’s play on the defensive end is key as well, as he averages 1.5 steals per game and will usually try to lock down the opponent’s best perimeter player.

Bucks Get Home Win

Although the Nuggets have been playing well, they’re taking on a team that can counter Jokic with height and production. Denver needs other players to step up in this one, but the Bucks have too much depth and firepower, and they’ll complete the season sweep with an easy win.

When doing your NBA betting, take Milwaukee to win and cover at home.