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Two of the most exhilarating superstars in the league face off tonight. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the red-hot Bucks travel to Dallas, where Luka Doncic and the Mavericks are waiting. It hasn’t been the smoothest start to the season for the Mavs, but they have won three straight games entering this highly-anticipated matchup.
I’ve created a four-leg Same Game Parlay on DraftKings Sportsbook for Bucks-Mavericks, with the odds coming out to +360.
Here is the Same Game Parlay:
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Let’s walk through each of the legs, along with an injury report breakdown ahead of tonight’s matchup.
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INJURY REPORT
Dallas Mavericks
- No notable injuries
Milwaukee Bucks
- Wesley Matthews (health and safety protocols) — OUT
Giannis Antetokounmpo 40+ Points & Rebounds
As you can tell by now, I’m expecting a big night from the stars in this matchup. That being said, all of these legs are certainly feasible. Antetokounmpo has hit 40-plus points and rebounds in eight straight games.
The two-time MVP has found another gear after an underwhelming November. Giannis is now up to 32.0 points per game, which is by far the highest total of his career. While Dallas is tough defensively, the Mavs simply have no one capable of guarding Antetokounmpo. Between Dwight Powell, Dorian Finney-Smith, Maxi Kleber, and Christian Wood, Jason Kidd’s squad is going to be dominated in the paint tonight.
Luka Doncic 45+ Points, Rebounds & Assists
Just like Giannis, Doncic has also hit a different level lately. Luka has recorded 45-plus points, rebounds and assists in four of his last five games. At this point, he is the entirety of Dallas’ offense.
Doncic’s usage rate has risen to an insane level, now sitting at 36.9% on the year. Luka has taken on so much of the Mavericks’ offensive workload that even Jason Kidd is concerned about his longevity.
“For 82 games, it’s no way that he can play at this level, the usage is just way too high. No one can. You know, the things that we ask him to do on the offensive end and then asked him to defend on the other end. It’s a lot.”
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) December 6, 2022
- Jason Kidd on Luka Doncic
(Via Yahoo) pic.twitter.com/f2zrFkZxlq
That being said, those concerns haven’t translated to a change in Dallas’ system. When Doncic is on the floor, the ball is almost always in his hands. I expect another big game from the young superstar tonight.
Bucks +4.5
The Bucks don’t lose often, and when they do, it’s by a very slim margin. Milwaukee has only lost by double-digit points three times this year. It’s also worth noting that Giannis and company have covered the +4.5 point spread in every game with Khris Middleton back in the lineup.
I’m not confident picking a winner in this contest, as it’s a battle every time these teams face off, but I do think the Bucks will keep it close. Milwaukee has been a much better team than Dallas up to this point and the Mavs don’t seem capable of blowing good teams out consistently. We’ll take the added security that comes with the points on Milwaukee’s side.
Over 217.5 Total Points
Neither of these teams boast prolific offenses, but they’ve been solid enough on that side of the ball to hit the over here. Dallas hasn’t scored fewer than 115 points in six straight games, while Milwaukee is coming off a huge 126-point night against Sacramento.
These teams have easily cleared this point total in each of their last two matchups, including a 124-115 game on November 27. We don’t need another high-scoring affair like that tonight, just competent offense.
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