Nets vs Bucks Picks & Odds (Mar. 9)
- The Milwaukee Bucks are 13-point home favorites when they host the Brooklyn Nets on March 9
- Five Brooklyn regulars have been ruled out, including starters Spencer Dinwiddie and Nic Claxton
- Read below for the Nets vs Bucks odds and predictions
After dealing franchise cornerstones Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, many are expecting the Brooklyn Nets (37-28, 18-16 away) to fade out of the NBA’s East Playoff Bracket.
They didn’t seem to get the memo.
The Nets seek their fourth straight win — but will be severely undermanned — as they visit the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks (47-18, 27-6 home), who have reeled off 18 wins in their last 19.
It’s the lone home date in a stretch of six games for the Bucks, who will look to finish off this season series with three wins in four tries.
Action gets underway Thursday (March 9) at 8pm ET from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. You can watch the game live on NBA League Pass.
Nets vs Bucks Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Nets | +13 (-110) | +650 | OFF |
| Milwaukee Bucks | -13 (-110) | -950 | OFF |
The NBA odds have the Bucks as monster 13-point favorites, and -950 on the moneyline, an implied win probability of 90.48%.
Milwaukee has a 27-6 home record — tied for the second-most home wins in the East — and they’re 28-14 in conference play, in a three-way tie for the most wins.
Brooklyn is 18-16 on the road, but they’ll be down five regulars. Royce O’Neale (knee), Cam Johnson (knee), Spencer Dinwiddie (rest) and Nic Claxton (thumb) are all sidelined, while Ben Simmons (back, knee) is out indefinitely.
After splitting the first two games of the regular-season series, the Bucks took the last matchup 118-104 on Feb 28. The win extended Milwaukee’s win streak at the time to 15 games.
Giannis led the way with 33 points and 15 boards, while Bridges dropped 31 points and five dimes.
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Odds as of Mar 8 at DraftKings.
Brooklyn Betting Analysis
Mikal Bridges is thriving in his new digs.
The main piece in the KD trade (aside from the draft capital) was the centerpiece of Brooklyn’s 118-96 win over the Houston Rockets last game, pouring in 30 points and adding five assists.
He’s averaging 33.7 points, six rebounds and 3.7 assists during the streak, while shooting 54% from the field and 50% from distance.
Mikal Bridges dropped 30 PTS, 5 AST, and 4 threes in the Nets W tonight 🔥 pic.twitter.com/EUlBO84RPi
— NBA (@NBA) March 8, 2023
Dinwiddie added 23 points and four assists, while Claxton chipped in with 18 points, 13 boards and four blocks.
Brooklyn’s defense was again a difference maker, as they held the Rockets to 43.4% shooting, including a paltry 7-for-26 mark from three-point range.
In their last three wins, the Nets are holding opponents 95.7 points per game on 43.1% shooting from the field and 28.2% from beyond the arc. They’ve held their last two opponents under 100 points.
Milwaukee Betting Analysis
It’s probably just a matter of time before the Bucks climb into the top spot in the 2023 NBA Championship odds.
Even without Giannis Antetokounmpo (illness) and Jrue Holiday (neck), the Bucks put together a professional performance in a 134-123 win over the Orland Magic . Brook Lopez led the team in scoring with 26 points and four boards, while Khris Middleton added 24 points, 11 assists and four rebounds.
Highlights from last night's WIN vs. Magic.
⚡️ @we_energies ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/P67WbZHANp
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) March 8, 2023
Bobby Portis also chipped in with a double-double, putting up 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Both Giannis and Holiday are probable for Thursday, as is Jae Crowder (ankle), though Wes Matthews (hamstring) and newly acquired Goran Dragic (knee) have already been ruled out.
The Bucks are averaging 115.8 points per game this season, which ranks ninth in the NBA. Defensively they are fifth, allowing just 111.7 points per game.
Nets vs Bucks Betting Prediction
Milwaukee has flourished as a home favorite, going 20-12-1 against the spread. They’re also 24-18-2 ATS playing on a day’s rest.
Brooklyn hasn’t been a bad bet this year as a road ‘dog, going 11-7 ATS, but they have struggled at Fiserv of late, covering just one of their last five games in Milwaukee.
The Bucks haven’t been blowing teams out of the water at home though: in 2023, they’ve played 15 home games, and have won by double digits six times. Despite owning a 12-3 mark in that stretch, they have a point differential of +5.8.
Because the Nets are so injury-depleted, the Bucks might be willing to take their time with Giannis and Holiday and extend their rest — something to monitor leading up to game time.
It’s such a massive spread, though. Look for Bridges and that impressive Brooklyn D to keep this relatively close in a loss.
Pick:
- Nets +13 (-110); 1.5 units to win 1.31 units
- NBA Betting Record: 32-31-1 ATS, 1-2 ML, 7-0 o/u, 0-3 parlays; -10.65 units
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Having worked in and around sports since 1997, Eric is truly a knowledgeable expert. The two-time journalism grad specializes in all things NBA and NFL. From TSN.ca to CTV's Olympic Broadcast Consortium, Eric's work has appeared in local and national publications alike.
