Bucks vs. Grizzlies Odds
| Bucks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5 -110 | 223.5 -110o / -110u | -205 |
| Grizzlies Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5 -110 | 223.5 -110o / -110u | +170 |
Here's everything you need to know about Bucks vs. Grizzlies on Thursday, October 31 — our expert prediction and betting picks for today's game.
The Bucks and Grizzlies are are off to completely different starts this season. While Milwaukee is underachieving, Memphis is playing well and coming off a win over the Brooklyn Nets. Playing the second game of a back-to-back may pose a challenge for the Grizzlies, whereas the Bucks have lost three straight and are still without Khris Middleton.
My Bucks vs. Grizzlies prediction is below.
Milwaukee Bucks
Just a few years ago, the Milwaukee Bucks were NBA champions. Now, they're a team off to a 1-3 start with a lineup that should be much better than those results.
Losers of three straight since an Opening Night win in Philadelphia, the Bucks are getting excellent play from their two healthy stars, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, but not much else from a supporting cast that has been without Middleton.
Antetokounmpo is averaging a healthy 28 points, 11.8 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game, while Lillard is at 28 points, 6.3 assists and six rebounds. The duo is taking nearly 35 shots a game, which is slightly less than half of the team's total. Nearly 10 of Lillard's 17 shot attempts per game are coming from 3-point range, where he is shooting about 31%.
The Bucks are scoring 114 points per game because of their two stars and role players Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis and Gary Trent Jr., all of whom are averaging in double figures for points. Portis is also second on the team in rebounds (7.8), while Lopez paces the Bucks with 3.3 blocks per game. Trent is second on the team behind Lillard in both 3s made and attempted at two and 5.5, respectively.
However, the advanced stats aren't too kind to the Bucks, who are 25th in assist percentage and 17th in offensive rating. Playing at a top-10 pace, they average 15.5 turnovers per game and are in the bottom half of the league in rebound percentage, while surrendering 119 points per game.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies have lost two straight, including a home loss to the Nets on Wednesday.
Jaren Jackson Jr.'s return following a hamstring injury has helped as he's coming off a 30-point performance against Brooklyn. His scoring has increased in each of the three games he's played and he's now averaging 20.7 points per game.
He, along with Ja Morant, who is averaging 19 points per game, and Desmond Bane, who is at 18.8 points per game, do most of the scoring for the 2-3 team.
Bane has cemented himself as an elite shooter and is making 41% of his 6.4 3-point attempts per game. He has averaged roughly three 3-point makes per game every season since 2021-22, and is the leader of a team that shoots roughly 35 3s per game.
The Grizzlies are averaging 117.4 points per game and have the second-best assist percentage and a top-five pace. They are allowing a Western Conference-worst 121.6 points per game and are unsurprisingly closer to the bottom of the league in defensive rating and rebound percentage.
Bucks vs. Grizzlies
Betting Pick & Prediction
The line for this game is Bucks -5, which is likely due to their superstar talent, the belief they should be better and the fact that the Grizzlies are on the second leg of a back-to-back.
However, neither team can really be trusted to win this game, but each has scored well so far this season. Additionally, neither team has been particularly good on the defensive end of the floor, so the Over it is.
