Bucks vs. Trail Blazers Odds, Pick, Prediction | NBA Betting Preview (February 6)

Bucks vs. Trail Blazers Odds

We are fast approaching both the trade deadline and NBA All-Star Weekend, but plenty is still happening on the actual basketball court. Monday night offers a solid matchup between a pair of teams playing some good basketball of late.

The 36-17 Milwaukee Bucks have won seven straight, the longest current win streak in the league. Meanwhile, the 26-27 Portland Trailblazers have won five of their past seven and are kicking off a five-game homestand as they linger around the bottom of the playoff picture.

Both teams are missing just one rotation player at the moment, making them among the healthier teams in the league. If all probable players actually play, this will be a good measuring stick for both teams.

Milwaukee Bucks

Seven games ago, Khris Middleton returned from a brief G League stint to the Bucks rotation, and it's not a coincidence that Milwaukee started rattling off wins. Middleton is a proven All-Star and although he's not up to full speed, he's the perfect player for what the Bucks bench needs right now.

Often playing with Jevon Carter, Joe Ingles and Wesley Matthews, Middleton can just look to fill it up, and he's done just that — especially in the past three games. Averaging basically 20 minutes a night, Middleton has averaged 19.3/5.7/3.0 in Milwaukee's three most recent wins.

Once he is fully healthy, Middleton will be joining Giannis Antetokounmpo and co. in the starting lineup, but for the time being, this is one of those perfect alignments that you wish you could somehow keep long-term.

I'm going to be looking to play the Bucks quite a bit in the run up to the All-Star Break, as they really seem to have found their stride. If Middleton stays as a sixth man for a bit, I like them even more.

Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers have added a few pieces back to their own bench that have helped in recent weeks. Gary Payton II isn't putting up quite the numbers the team for hoped when they signed him to a $26-million contract this offseason, but he is a perfect pairing to either Damian Lillard or Anfernee Simons in the backcourt.

Drew Eubanks has also filled in admirably for Jusuf Nurkic and the Blazers offense hasn't missed a beat since Nurkic went out (115.7 offensive rating with Nurkic vs. 115.8 with Eubanks). The defense is a touch worse, but Payton can help there a bit.

All that said, I don't love the matchup for Portland on Monday.

The Trail Blazers don't really have anyone who can slow down Antetokounmpo. Josh Hart is a great defender, but he's not nearly big enough to take on the task, and Eubanks isn't the type of rim protector able to slow down Antetokounmpo. Additionally, the Portland bench just doesn't have any of the juice that the Middleton-led crew in Milwaukee has.

Bucks-Trail Blazers Pick

This line opened at Bucks -5 and moved early to -4.5, so keep your eyes on this. Despite the early line moving against me, I still like the Bucks — I just may try to wait out the best number.

If the line moves back to -5, I would take it there, and even at -5.5, but not past that. If the next move is to -4, I'd continue to wait.

Pick: Bucks -4.5 or better

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