New Orleans Pelicans vs Milwaukee Bucks Picks and Odds Dec 17

New Orleans Pelicans vs Milwaukee Bucks Betting Preview

WagerTalk NBA handicapper Tony Finn offers his New Orleans Pelicans vs Milwaukee Bucks betting preview for Friday, December 17. At the time of posting, Milwaukee is holding steady as a 2-point road favorite in New Orleans with the total sitting at 219 points.

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Fri, Dec 17	NBA Betting Notes
Point Spread:	Milwaukee Bucks -2 at New Orleans Pelicans
Total:	219 Points
Game Time:	8:10pm ET / 5:10pm PT
Arena:	Smoothie King Center in New Orleans
TV:	Bally Sports New Orleans

New Orleans Pelicans vs Milwaukee Bucks Predictions

Milwaukee Bucks (19-11, 2nd in NBA – East) and New Orleans Pelicans (9-21, 14th in NBA – West) square off in the Big Easy on Friday night. The Bucks are handicapped due to injuries and to COVID health and safety protocol. Additionally, this early Friday night contest will be without Giannis Antetokounmpo and his 27.0 points per game due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

The reigning MVP is expected to miss Friday night’s game and remain unavailable until he fully clears the league’s protocol. The Bucks will also be without DeMarcus Cousins (personal), Donte DiVincenzo (ankle and health and safety protocols), Brook Lopez (back surgery), Wesley Matthews (health and safety protocols), Kris Middleton (health and safety protocols), and Semi Ojeleye (calf).

The main characters that consume the majority of the game minutes for the Pelicans are healthy and active save Zion Williamson, who remains out without a definitive return to active duty. However, New Orleans has made significant progress in several variables and metrics in recent weeks. Across their last ten games, they have gone from a 3-16 start to the season to earn a mark of 5-5 across their previous ten games.

New Orleans is 12-18 against the spread this season, with an overall margin of -5.9 in the team’s final scores. In their win in Oklahoma City on Wednesday night, they were a preflop favorite for only the third time this season. The Pelicans recorded a 113-110 victory Wednesday versus the Thunder but failed to cover the 4.5-point closing number as road favorites. New Orleans is 0-3 in the role of the pregame choice.

“We’ve got to be better in general with some of our starts,” Pelicans head coach Willie Green told the press in the team’s media session. “Our margin for error is small. Our guys know that. So we’ve just got to continue to execute on both ends of the floor and take care of the basketball.”

The Pelicans have started the second quarter of their last seven games trailing on the scoreboard. You have to scan the results column at any NBA portal back to the final week of November to find the Pelicans holding the lead after the first stanza.

The Pelicans players have started to trust each other. The New Orleans offensive halfcourt sets are much more cohesive and fluid. The first two Pelicans’ rotations are talking more on the defensive end of the hardwood, and as a result, the team is finding themselves still in touch with their opponent in the latter stages of the fourth quarter. Since mid-November, notably the return of Brandon Ingram from the injury list, the Pelicans are 8-9, including 4-4 on the road.

Playing Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and a handful of critical reserves, the Milwaukee Bucks road the shoulders of Jrue Holiday and shot their way to a 114-99 win on Wednesday night as home underdogs to the Indiana Pacers.

“Just a lot of decision making, making a lot of plays, just a lot of trying to get in the paint,” Holiday said in the post-game presser. “It was a lot, but it was fun.”

Milwaukee Bucks

• Wednesday’s starting five and the likely first five for Friday night’s event at the Smoothie King Center included; SF Jordan Nwora, PG Jrue Holiday, SG Pat Connaughton, and SG Grayson Allen.
• Milwaukee shot 48.9 percent overall and 48.3 percent from the three-point line in Wednesday’s win over Indiana.
• Holiday led the Bucks in scoring and assists from the point-guard position scoring 26 points and recording 14 assists.
• The Bucks are 9-7 on the road. Milwaukee is second in league with 47.3 rebounds per game. The primary contributor to Milwaukee’s dominance on the boards is Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is averaging 11.6 RPG. Giannis will not be available for Friday’s event in New Orleans.
• With their short-handed victory on Wednesday against the Packers, the Bucks are 7-3 straight up in their last ten games. Milwaukee is averaging 113 points, 47.2 rebounds, 23.6 assists, 8.2 steals, and 3.8 blocks per game and, in those ten contests, shot 46.3 percent overall from the field.
• Milwaukee has surrendered an average of 106.8 points per game in their last ten matchups.

New Orleans Pelicans

• The Thunder were fortunate to exit Oklahoma City with a win. Pelican’s point-guard Devonte’ Graham’s sunk a 61-foot desperation shot at the buzzer. Coach Willie Green said the result was an extension of the team’s energy lately.
• In the Pelicans’ last ten games, with a level 5-5 mark, New Orleans is averaging 108 points, 46.5 rebounds, 26.3 assists, 7.9 steals, and 3.9 blocks per game and surrendering an average of 111 points per game. The Pelicans are shooting 45.2 percent from the field during that ten-game span.
• The Pelicans are 4-9 on their home court. New Orleans allows 109.9 points to opponents and has been outscored by 5.9 points per game.
• Jonas Valanciunas has been exceptional in the Pelicans’ recent run, winning five of their last ten games. Valanciunas is averaging 18.7 points and 12.1 rebounds for the Pelicans.
• Brandon Ingram averages 25.5 points over the last ten games for New Orleans. In their Wednesday win at Oklahoma City, Ingram led the team in scoring 34 points on 11-of-21 shooting.
• In Wednesday’s win, Ingram’s 34 points were his second-highest point total of the season. Ingram scored 40 points in early December against the Houston Rockets.

New Orleans Pelicans vs Milwaukee Bucks Injury Report

New Orleans Pelicans
Daulton Hommes: out (fibula)
Didi Louzada: out (violating NBA/NBPA’s anti-drug program)
Zion Williamson: out (foot)
Kira Lewis Jr.: out for season (Knee)

Milwaukee Bucks
George Hill: day today (reconditioning)
Giannis Antetokounmpo out (COVID-19 health and safety protocols)
DeMarcus Cousins: out (personal)
Donte DiVincenzo: out (ankle and COVID-19 health and safety protocols)
Brook Lopez: out (back surgery)
Wesley Matthews: out (COVID-19 health and safety protocols)
Kris Middleton: out (COVID-19 health and safety protocols)
Semi Ojeleye: out (calf)

The Bucks are playing without or through several injuries to key player personnel. The combination of injuries and COVID didn’t prevent the Bucks from earning a Wednesday night win over the Indiana Pacers as home dogs. However, winning the way the Bucks did in their victory against Indiana isn’t likely to repeat itself.

The Bucks, even squaring off against a pedestrian Pelicans defense, can not be counted on to connect on 14-of-29 three points shots, get outrebounded by double digits, forcing 18 turnovers to only nine of their own, get outscored with fast break points, allow 54 points in the paint and still win by 15-points.

The absence of Antetokounmpo is a points problem for the Bucks. When the Greek Freak is not active and playing on game night, the Bucks are outscored by 7.2 points, and the Milwaukee defense allows 1.134 points per possession. Without breaking it down in detail, the metrics for the Bucks without the Greek and Middleton results in an even more significant fall of the teams’ metrics. The game between the Greek Freek and his teammates at the Smoothie Center is on the home underdog Pelicans.

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New Orleans Pelicans vs Milwaukee Bucks Analysis from The GoldSheet

Okay, let’s take a step back and look at this. New Orleans did beat Oklahoma City, with Devonte’ Graham hoisting up a 61-footer for a win at the buzzer. Exciting. But the Pelicans didn’t cover (We know. We checked. We had the Pels. We were not impressed). Now they travel home and instead of the 8-19 Thunder, the opposition is the Milwaukee, winner of 13 of their last 16 SU and the number is Bucks -3. Okay, you have our attention.

Unfortunately it turns out Giannis Antetokounmpo is likely out due to league health and safety protocols after sitting Wednesday’s game against Indiana. Although on the upside Khris Middleton, who was sidelined against Indiana with a hyperextended knee against Indiana is going to try and come back for this one and DeMarcus Cousins could be available, mitigating the absence of Bobby Portis, also a potential victim of the Covid protocols. You can see, it’s problematical. Pels have lost 4 of last 5 vs. the number and don’t trust HC Willie Green that much.

Friday’s NBA Stat Sheet

Each day, WagerTalk handicapper Ralph Michaels puts together his NBA Stat Sheet, which offers a head-to-head comparison for how teams are performing in a number of key areas heading into a game. Click here to download Thursday’s sheet, with notes on tonight’s New Orleans Pelicans vs Milwaukee Bucks contest.

NBA Tip-Off Show

Join Joe Raineri, Tony Mejia, Andy Lang and Kevin Dolan for the NBA Tip-Off Show at 4:15pm ET / 1:15pm PT as we discuss tonight’s marquee games. Stay up-to-date on the latest NBA news, stats, analysis, and predictions with our panel of professional handicappers as they preview tonight’s NBA action, including this New Orleans Pelicans vs Milwaukee Bucks clash, from a betting perspective.

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