Nets vs. Bucks Odds
| Nets Odds | +3 |
| Bucks Odds | -3 |
| Over/Under | 227 |
| Moneyline | +130 / -150 |
| Time | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
| Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute NBA odds here. | |
Tonight I’m looking at the Eastern Conference showdown between two contenders that are winless in the preseason: the Brooklyn Nets (0-2) and Milwaukee Bucks (0-4).
There are a few reasons I see an edge with the Nets tonight, mainly because I don’t have faith in the preseason version of the Bucks. Milwaukee's lack of preseason motivation seems to be more present than Brooklyn's and can be seen in their respective minutes distributions.
The Bucks’ top three in total minutes this preseason are MarJon Beauchamp (99.4), Jordan Nwora (93.8) and Sandro Mamukelashvili (86.1). While part of that is because the Bucks didn’t play any of their starters last night in Chicago, if you look at the minutes-per-game stats, those same players round out the top three in the same order. Meanwhile, the Nets' top three in total minutes consist of Ben Simmons (44.5), Kevin Durant (44.3), and Royce O’Neale (42.4).
I’ll save you the stats that argue which of those trios I think is better.
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And speaking of talent, Giannis Antetokounmpo has only played in one preseason game for the Bucks so far, which was in last week’s loss to the Hawks in the Abu Dhabi Games. That means not only has Milwaukee played two more games in the last week, but they’ve also had to travel over 7,220 miles in between.
The preseason stats also favor Steve Nash over Mike Budenholzer in this spot, and while Nash’s sample size isn’t anywhere near large enough to consider significant, we can look to Bud’s history for some reassurance. According to BetLabs, coach Bud’s preseason record is 29-24 ATS, but he’s 14-14-0 as a favorite, 9-14-0 at home and only 7-13 ATS as a preseason favorite at home, which comes out to 35%.
While I don’t know exactly who will suit up tonight, I like Brooklyn +3. Even if Milwaukee plays its starters, Bud will tilt playing time in favor of the younger players with something to prove.
