Bucks vs Mavericks Odds and Picks

• The Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks matchup on Sunday
• Both teams are competing for playoff positioning, though the Bucks could look to slip to third
• Read below for the latest Bucks vs Mavericks odds and our betting preview

The Milwaukee Bucks host the Dallas Mavericks at Fiserv Forum at 1pm ET on Sunday, April, 3rd. Both teams are coming off heavy losses on Friday night to the Clippers and Wizards respectively and this is a third game in four days for the Bucks after a thrilling overtime win against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.

Milwaukee is just 16-23 against the spread at home this season. They have fluctuated between brilliant and disinterested through this regular season, though Giannis Antetokounmpo’s dominance has been ever present. Mike Budenholzer sat all of his starters on Friday, while they could look to drop out of the top two to avoid Brooklyn in the first round, they are all expected to return for the visit of Dallas.

Bucks vs Mavericks Odds

Odds as of Apr 2nd at Draftkings.

Dallas owns a 22-17 ATS record on the road this term. They have lost four of their last nine, three of which were blowouts.

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Injury Report

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, Grayson Allen and Wesley Matthews sat out as the Bucks gave up 153 points to the Clippers on Friday. Partly a response to a heavy workload on Thursday, this was an indication that Milwaukee could look to drop games over the next week or so to fall into third or fourth in the Eastern Conference. DeAndre’ Bembry is the only guaranteed absentee here.

Dallas also suffered a heavy loss on Friday, conceding 135 to the Wizards. There was no load management from Jason Kidd, however, with the Mavericks still eyeing the three seed in the Western Conference.

Robert Covington said that after his 10th 3-pointer, Giannis Antetokounmpo told him from the Bucks sideline: "Hey man, go for the record. I'm trying to see something." pic.twitter.com/L1lCvh9gke

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 2, 2022

Tim Hardaway Jr is likely out for the year with a foot issue, while Trey Burke and Sterling Brown have missed multiple games due to health and safety protocols.

Dallas Defense Drops Off

The Mavericks’ defense has been very up and down this season. Poor early on and then elite for a spell, the Mavs rank right around league average in defensive rating since the All-Star break. They generally do a good job of limiting threes, but they are short on rim protection with Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber sharing minutes at the five.

Dallas generally does well at stopping opponents getting to the rim thanks to solid perimeter defense preventing drives. They will need to build a wall to stop Antetokounmpo, who has scored 84 points over his last two games and is shooting 77% at the rim this season. Milwaukee has the fourth-best offense since the break — Dallas must put in its best defensive performance to slow them down.

The Bucks’ application on the defensive end has fluctuated this term. Against both the Sixers and Nets, though, they have reminded everyone how great they can be on defense. Jrue Holiday is a menace and possesses the strength to make life more difficult for Luka Doncic than most guards can.

Giannis got a standing ovation in Milwaukee after becoming the Bucks' all-time leading scorer 👏 pic.twitter.com/eX0pt7LYlk

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 2, 2022

Jalen Brunson and Spencer Dinwiddie have a big role to play here. They are able to attack off the bounce and can ease some of the burden on Doncic. The pair must be productive if the Mavericks are to keep pace with this Bucks offense.

Bucks vs Mavericks Prediction

The Bucks won when these teams met earlier in the season. Neither Luka Doncic nor Giannis Antetokounmpo played in that one, however, and Milwaukee got a big night from DeMarcus Cousins, who hasn’t been on the team since early January.

“Please don’t turn in your MVP ballots yet. Thanks.
—Love, Giannis”

— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) April 1, 2022

This point of the season is tricky for bettors. It’s expected that the Bucks will be at full strength, but there’s a risk they rest several starters again in the hope they can move towards a favorable first-round matchup. Dallas has less to benefit from dropping games, and with a couple of days off after this one, it would be a surprise if they rest anyone.

If we’re assuming both teams have their starters available for 30+ minutes, it’s so hard to look past the Bucks right now. They are ramping up for the playoffs and have two statement wins over the Sixers and Nets. The recent defensive play of Dallas doesn’t inspire much confidence — take Milwaukee on the moneyline.

Pick: Bucks Moneyline +170