The Milwaukee Bucks (1-3) and Memphis Grizzlies (2-3) face off tonight as part of an enthralling four-game Halloween slate.
The Grizzlies have dropped back-to-back home games and will now be tasked with trying to defend one of the best players in the league. That leads me to me Giannis Antetokounmpo prop, which headlines this Bucks vs Grizzlies parlay.
Bucks vs Grizzlies Parlay
- Milwaukee Bucks -5.5 (-115)
- Taurean Prince 2+ Three-Pointers Made (+105)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo Over 6.5 Assists (+100)
Parlay Odds: +485 on DraftKings
Remember to bet responsibly — this is a long shot for a reason.
Milwaukee Bucks -5.5 (-115)
It is hard to win basketball games when allowing opponents to shoot the third-most 3-pointers per game in the NBA (39.8) on the third-highest percentage (39.8%).
Between the complete absence of perimeter defense and the consistently poor effort on the glass (29th in defensive rebounding percentage), the Grizzlies are hardly giving themselves a chance at winning basketball games right now.
Now, Memphis will be without two starters, Smart and Bane, who suffered injuries last night.
It has been more of the same from last season: an abundance of injuries, poor rebounding, and porous 3-point defense.
Meanwhile, Milwaukee has had its fair share of troubles, winning merely one of its first four games.
Aside from Bobby Portis Jr., one of the best sixth men in the NBA, the Bucks' bench (21st in net rating) has been atrocious.
Milwaukee has also shot poorly from 3-point land to begin the season, ranking 23rd in 3P%. Despite those issues, the Bucks still rank sixth in true shooting percentage in the NBA, which is a positive overall sign for this team.
While Memphis can take advantage of teams that aren't accustomed to playing up-tempo, Milwaukee ranks sixth in pace so far this season; the Bucks have no issue pushing the ball in transition and firing up the first open look they get.
With Smart, Bane, Luke Kennard, Vince Williams Jr, GG Jackson, and Cam Spencer all sidelined, Memphis will have difficulty keeping up with the Bucks.
Further, based on some of Memphis's strange rotations this season, the Grizzlies will likely deploy several of their bench players for the same amount of minutes as superstars Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.
And that can't be a conducive formula for beating Giannis and the Bucks.
Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -5.5 (-115)
Taurean Prince 2+ Three-Pointers Made (+105)
At plus-money, this bet feels like a no-brainer addition to our same game parlay.
Prince has not shot much this season for the Bucks, but he has hit at an absurd rate when he opts to pull the trigger.
In fact, Prince has made 63.6% of his 3-point attempts in his first four games of the 2024-25 campaign.
Not only has Prince shot well to start the season, but he also has a history of shooting well against the Grizzlies, hitting at least two 3-pointers in his past five regular-season games against them.
While his role with the Bucks is a little less shooting-intensive, he has played at least 30 minutes in all four games this season.
That will undoubtedly continue against a Memphis team that has given up the second-most made 3-pointers to opposing small forwards in the NBA thus far.
Pick: Taurean Prince 2+ Made 3-Pointers (+105)
Giannis Antetokounmpo Over 6.5 Assists (+100)
Giannis and the Bucks have had an underwhelming start to the 2024-25 regular season, logging only one win through the first week of play.
His shooting volume has been wildly sporadic. He shot merely 11 times in two of their games thus far but took 23+ field goal attempts in the other two bouts, which is much more appropriate given his talent and skill set.
A huge reason for the volatility in field goal attempts is Giannis's concerted effort to get teammates involved.
Giannis has recorded seven assists in two of his four games, but historically, he has been even better at distributing against Memphis.
The Greek Freak has logged at least seven assists in five of his past seven outings versus the Grizzlies, and in the two games he fell short, he didn't even reach 30 minutes of play.
Memphis tends to over-help on the defensive end of the floor. To deter Giannis offensively, expect the Grizzlies to collapse on his drives, allowing him to kick to open shooters like Prince, Lillard, and Trent Jr.
Pick: Giannis Antetokounmpo To Record 7+ Assists (+100)
