Heat vs Bucks Odds, Lines and Spread – August 6

• Two of the Eastern Conference’s best teams will face off on Thursday when Miami takes on the Bucks
• Milwaukee has lost two straight, while the Heat are coming off a huge win over Boston on Tuesday
• Get the odds, preview, and best bet for Thursday’s contest below

With just a handful of games left in the Orlando bubble before the postseason kicks off, Milwaukee will play “host” when they take on the Miami Heat on Thursday, August 6th, with tip-off 4 PM EST.

Miami is one of the only teams in the NBA to have success against the Bucks this season, winning both contests against the league’s best team. They beat them by five back in October, and then buried Milwaukee again in early March, defeating them by 16 points.

Miami Heat vs Milwaukee Bucks Odds

Odds taken August 6th

The latest Miami Heat vs Milwaukee Bucks odds favor Giannis Antetokounmpo and co. as 9.5-point favorites.

Can Miami Sweep Season Series Against Bucks?

Milwaukee has lost just 14 times this season, but two of those defeats came by the hands of the Miami Heat. Erik Spoelstra’s team is 2-1 in the bubble so far, including wins over Denver and Boston. Their only loss came against a very good Toronto Raptors team, but they still put up a solid fight, losing by just four points.

What was particularly impressive about Miami’s win over the C’s just two nights ago was the fact they were missing Jimmy Butler, who sat out due to a sore ankle. Other guys stepped up, with Kelly Olynyk starting in Butler’s place, dropping 15 points and dishing out eight assists. Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robinson each poured in 21 points apiece as well.

This is a team to watch closely as we get closer to the playoffs. They’re a well-oiled machine who has numerous offensive weapons who can hurt you down low and on the perimeter, with two sharpshooters in Tyler Herro and Robinson.

The Heat currently sit fourth in the East at 43-25, just one game ahead of Indiana, who they will play twice before the season is over. The Pacers have been hot, so it will be crucial that Miami come ready to play in those two contests if they want to lock up the four seed.

Miami will be missing two of their most important players against the Bucks in Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic, as both are nursing minor injuries.

Bucks Looking to Bounce Back From Two Straight Losses

Dating back to before the hiatus, the Bucks have won just once in their last six games. They lost three straight before the league was shut down and have now suffered two straight defeats to Houston and Brooklyn.

It’s unlike them to lose this much, considering they’ve arguably been the most electric team in the association this season. Despite the slow start since the resumption, Antetokounmpo has been his normal self, scoring 36 points in the first and second contests back, while collecting just under 20 rebounds as well.

16 points in 16 minutes for The Greek Freak. pic.twitter.com/PtrPknXXRX

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) August 4, 2020

Milwaukee ranks first in the NBA in defensive rating, but that’s been an area of concern lately. They give up just 107.8 points per game usually but have conceded 117 per night in their first three games. With the Greek Freak leading the way, it’s hard to imagine that the Bucks will continue to lose basketball games. To boot, they will be very hungry to grab a victory on Thursday against a Miami team who’ve had their number in 2019-20.

Best Bet

Despite the Heat’s success against Milwaukee this season, the Bucks are clear favorites at the sportsbooks. I do think the Eastern Conference leaders will pull out a victory on Thursday as they look to secure the best record in the NBA. Antetokounmpo will return with another 30+ performance after playing limited minutes against the Nets and lead the Bucks to a victory over Miami, ending their two-game losing skid.

Pick: Milwaukee -9.5 (-110)