Raptors vs Bucks Odds, Lines & Predictions (Jan. 17)

• The Raptors and Bucks meet after both playing on MLK Day
• Milwaukee is a 6-point favorite for Tuesday’s affair
• Find the odds, preview, and Raptors vs Bucks prediction below

Tuesday evening brings a big Eastern Conference matchup between two teams who secured gritty victories on MLK Day as the Toronto Raptors are on the road again to face the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. The tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 PM ET. Keep reading for the Raptors vs Bucks prediction.

Milwaukee was without Giannis Antetokounmpo Monday but managed to beat the Tyrese Haliburton-less Indiana Pacers at home, 132-119. Toronto meanwhile came back from a fourth-quarter deficit to down the New York Knicks in the most hostile arena in basketball, Madison Square Garden.

Raptors vs Bucks Odds

Odds as of January 16th at FanDuel Sportsbook.

The Bucks are favored by six points at home with moneyline odds of -250. They’re just 22-19-2 ATS. The Raps sit at +205 and have gone 9-7 as an ATS underdog this season.

These two teams battled it out on January 4th, with Milwaukee winning in overtime. However, Toronto was riding a five-game unbeaten run against Giannis and Co. prior to that.

Raptors Getting Back on Track?

It’s been a rough campaign for the Raptors, who have dealt with tons of injury problems and can’t seem to find any consistency. However, it appears Toronto may be turning a corner. They’ve won four of their last five and Monday’s victory over the Knicks showed a ton of heart.

Nick Nurse’s squad trailed 101-92 with just five and a half minutes left in the fourth, but the Raps never gave in. A 12-3 run propelled by five consecutive points from Fred VanVleet got them back in it. While RJ Barrett ultimately slammed a game-tying dunk with seconds left in regulation, Toronto prevailed in OT thanks to key buckets from OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam.

Fred VanVleet in the Raptors OT win:

33 points
5 rebounds
8 assists
5 threes pic.twitter.com/VtSokAD8tz

— NBA (@NBA) January 16, 2023

VanVleet finished the contest with an impressive 33 points, while Scottie Barnes added 26. The Raptors didn’t shine in any particular area, shooting just 29% from deep and 40% overall. But, they kept fighting. This is the type of effort that’s been lacking from the rotation. It was a promising sign.

Bucks Should Get Giannis Back

Antetokounmpo was listed as probable for MLK Day against Indy and even warmed up pre-game. But, Milwaukee evidently erred on the side of caution with his sore knee as the Greek Freak missing a third straight matchup. That being said, there’s a very strong chance he finally returns to the floor Tuesday.

Although the Bucks came up against a Pacers squad missing their star PG in Haliburton, the rest of the roster did a fantastic job of stepping up without Giannis. Jrue Holiday played hero in the late-game rally as Mike Budenholzer’s team outscored their opponents 39-21 in the fourth quarter. Holiday finished with 35 points and 11 assists, while Bobby Portis contributed 21 points and 11 rebounds.

Jrue Holiday today:

35 PTS
11 AST
2 STL
13-19 FG
5-8 3P

Leading the Bucks in APG, SPG and 3PM this season. pic.twitter.com/FH5dWDBCXR

— StatMuse (@statmuse) January 16, 2023

Milwaukee’s 50% clip from deep certainly played a huge part in the outcome, with Holiday going 5 for 8 on his own. The Bucks are now 17-5 at Fiserv Forum in 2022-23.

Raptors vs Bucks Prediction

I’m liking Toronto’s track record against Milwaukee and the last meeting ended 104-101, with both teams trading blows. The Raptors will make it close at the very least.

Pick: Raptors +6 (-110)