There are eight games of NBA action taking place across tonight’s Monday slate. Among the most notable, the Milwaukee Bucks will face the Cleveland Cavaliers. These Eastern Conference rivals enter with top-seven seeds and high hopes for the season.
Looking at the odds for tonight’s matchup, the Cavaliers enter as 5.5-point favorites and hold -258 moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Bucks hold +210 odds of getting the outright victory, with the game total set at 235.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Monday night matchup.
Bucks at Cavaliers Preview
The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming off a 64-18 record last year, but failed to reach the heights they desired in the playoffs. They are off to a 9-5 start to the season and 6-2 over their past eight games. Their five losses have come against the Knicks, Celtics, Heat, and Raptors twice. They are just 4-10 against the spread this year.
Cleveland ranks seventh in the league in scoring at 121.1 points per game. They lead the NBA with 46.1 three-point attempts per game, but rank 20th in three-point percentage collectively. The Cavaliers also rank eighth in assists per game and are ninth in offensive rebounds tallied. Defensively, opponents are scoring 116.9 points per game, which ranks 17th in the league. They rank 13th in opponents’ field-goal percentage and eighth in opponents’ three-point attempts allowed.
Donovan Mitchell headlines the production with 30.4 points, 5.4 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game, while attempting 10.5 three-point attempts per game, which ranks third in the league. Evan Mobley continues to show intriguing flashes of growth. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is averaging 19.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists this season. Second-year forward Jaylon Tyson leads the team with a 46.2% three-point percentage, although he has been ruled out for tonight’s game with a concussion. Darius Garland’s return from injury has provided a significant spark to the offense, but he will miss tonight’s game due to some lingering effects of the toe issue. Jarrett Allen, Sam Merrill, Lonzo Ball, and Dean Wade round out most of their notable depth.
Despite trade rumors dominating the headlines this summer, the Milwaukee Bucks return this year with the continued intention of winning with Giannis Antetokounmpo. They are off to an 8-6 start to the season, but have slipped a bit after their 4-1 start. Milwaukee is 7-7 against the spread on the season.
The Bucks average 118.4 points per game, which ranks 15th in the NBA. They rank third in field goal percentage and second in three-point percentage, connecting on 41.1% of their long-range shots. Milwaukee ranks 19th in opponents’ points per game at 118.8 percent contest, 15th in opponents’ field goal percentage, seventh in opponents’ three-point percentage, and 28th in rebounds per game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has played like an MVP candidate out of the gates this year. The nine-time All-Star is leading the league in made field goals and posting averages of 32.6 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game, Milwaukee has surrounding their superstar with plenty of shooting with Gary Harris, A.J. Green, Ryan Rollins, Bobby Portis, Taurean Prince, and Myles Turner each shooting 41.0% or better from beyond the arc to start the season. Turner was the biggest offseason addition, while Rollins is emerging as a breakout star who changes the complexion of the Bucks’ defense. Kyle Kuzma, Gary Trent Jr, and Cole Anthony round to most of their depth. Antetokounmpo is listed as probable for tonight’s matchup with a knee issue, while Prince and Kevin Porter Jr. remain sidelined.
Bucks at Cavaliers Prediction, Best Bet
Both these teams last played on Saturday night, so there is no rest advantage in either direction. The two have faced off once already this season, which resulted in a 118-113 victory for Cleveland. Each side has had some inconsistencies in their play put on display already this season.
The Cavaliers are the better team, but Giannis Antetokounmpo will be the best player on the floor tonight. The Bucks’ superstar is proving to still be capable of elevating the roster around him, and I like their chances of keeping the game within the 5.5-point spread tonight. Cleveland is just 4-10 against the spread on the season, and the underdogs have covered the spread in each of the last five Cavaliers’ games. Milwaukee has also yet to lose consecutive games this season, while the Cavaliers have lost their last two games against Eastern Conference opponents as favorites.
Trends aside, the level of three-point shooting Milwaukee possesses means you can never truly count them out of a game. While you live by the three and die by the three to an extent, their level of shooting options is deep. This also has not felt like a trend in which the Bucks have just been shooting to an outlier level to start the year. The larger takeaway should be the looks that have been created off Antetokounmpo’s drives and the shot quality being directly connected to the impressive efficiency. The Cavaliers produced a five-point victory in the first matchup between these two teams, but it was a two-point game entering the fourth quarter, and the game was up for grabs down the stretch.
Expect more of the same tonight and for the final score to fall within the 5.5-point spread. Milwaukee deserves some credit for its commitment to its identity and has seen the benefits of this in the early parts of the year. These are the types of matchups that Antetokounmpo tends to be fired up for — expect him to keep this game competitive against a Cavaliers’ team that has not produced the quality of defense their personnel suggests they should. Cleveland has left the door open for opponents to remain competitive far too often this season, and count on Milwaukee to capitalize on this.
