NBA odds, betting preview (Nov. 12): Raptors vs. Bucks predictions

Two struggling franchises will square off on Tuesday night in Milwaukee when the Raptors visit the Bucks in the opener of NBA Cup play for both teams.

Both teams have been drawn into East Group B, which also includes the Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, and Miami Heat. The Raptors will play each of these teams once in group play over the next month or so.

Toronto will be playing the final contest of its season-long five-game road trip on Tuesday. The Raptors are winless on the trip and 2-2 against the spread.

The Bucks have surprisingly lost eight of their last nine games and are coming off a 113-107 defeat to the Boston Celtics on Sunday.

Let’s dive into the game odds for this clash between the Raptors and Bucks:

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Raptors moneyline odds	+240
Bucks moneyline odds	-300
Spread odds	Bucks -7.5 (-110), Raptors +7.5 (-110)
Over/under odds	Over 226.5 points (-110), Under 226.5 (-110)
Date/Time	Nov. 12, 8 p.m. ET

Betting Toronto Raptors (2-9 SU, 8-3 ATS, 7-4 o/u)

Through 11 games, we’ve yet to see the Raptors at full strength, which makes it incredibly difficult to get a true read on their potential. Unfortunately, it looks like it could be a few more weeks until this team is back somewhere close to healthy, with six players listed on the injury report (more on that below) heading into this matchup.

Perhaps the biggest issue for the Raptors, besides the health of players, has been on the defensive side of the ball. They rank last in the league in defensive rating (121.5) and 29th in opponent points off turnovers (22.7 per game). Opponents are also scoring 53.6 points per game in the paint against them, the sixth-worst mark in the Association.

Betting Milwaukee Bucks (2-8 SU, 3-7 ATS, 3-7 o/u)

The Bucks have been the biggest disappointments in the league to this point, and they’re running out of time before widespread changes could be made at the coaching and player levels. Milwaukee opened the season with +1000 odds to win the NBA title this year, but after a dreadful start, the Bucks now have long odds around +3300 depending on the online sportsbook.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has been doing his part, though, scoring a season-high 43 points in Sunday’s game against Boston. He also hauled in 13 rebounds for his ninth consecutive double-double.

Star point guard Damian Lillard, who is averaging 26 points and 6.6 assists per game, took a hit to the head late in Sunday’s game against the Celtics and began experiencing dizziness and headaches on Monday. He’s been ruled out for Tuesday against the Raptors, but could be cleared as soon as Wednesday for Milwaukee’s tilt with the Detroit Pistons.

Raptors vs. Bucks injuries

F Scottie Barnes (eye), F Bruce Brown (knee), F Kelly Olynyk (back), and G Ja’Kobe Walter (shoulder) are all out for the Raptors. F Garrett Temple (back) is doubtful, and G Immanuel Quickley (elbow) is questionable.

As for the Bucks, G Damian Lillard (concussion) and F Khris Middleton (ankle) are out. F Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee), G Gary Trent Jr. (back), and G Andre Jackson (hip) are probable.

Raptors vs. Bucks betting trends

• Toronto is 0-6 SU on the road this season.
• The Bucks are 1-3 SU and 1-3 ATS at home this season.
• The Raptors are 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings between the teams.
• The under is 7-1 in Milwaukee’s last eight games.

Raptors vs. Bucks player prop trends

• Brook Lopez has really been struggling offensively for the Bucks, averaging just 6.6 points per game over his last five contests. His points line is around 13.5 on Tuesday, a mark he’s failed to hit in five straight games and has only cleared once in 10 games this season.
• Taurean Prince snatched nine rebounds on Sunday against Boston and is averaging 5.1 per game this season. His rebounds line is around 3.5, a mark he’s cleared in eight of 10 games this season.
• As previously mentioned, Giannis has notched a double-double in nine straight games, but there’s not much value in betting that streak to continue at around -500 odds.

Raptors vs. Bucks best bets

Jakob Poeltl over 10.5 rebounds: +110 @ PointsBet. Poeltl ranks seventh in the NBA in rebounds per game (11.4) and has led or tied the Raptors for the most rebounds in every game this season. He’ll be matched up against Brook Lopez, who is one of the poorer rebounding centres in the NBA (averaging just 4.6 per game this season), and Milwaukee is allowing opposing centres to snatch an average of 15.06 rebounds per game this season. As a team, Milwaukee is allowing the opposition to collect 46.4 rebounds per game, which ranks ninth-worst in the NBA.

This is a very tough game to call against the spread now that Lillard has been ruled out. However, bettors should keep in mind that point differential and total points scored matter in NBA Cup format in case of group play tiebreakers. This could present some excellent in-game betting opportunities, as both teams will be playing hard until the final whistle and there won’t be any garbage time with point differential and total points scored being valued more than during a typical regular season game.

Greg’s Raptors betting record this season: 7-5, +1.58 units.

The post NBA odds, betting preview (Nov. 12): Raptors vs. Bucks predictions first appeared on Raptors Republic.