Look, it’s sometimes difficult to pinpoint a “worst” moment in a bad stretch, especially when a team has lost 10 of 13 games and it’s former MVP forward to a long-term injury. However, for the Bucks, I believe that moment came this past Sunday, when they dropped a contest 127-82 to the Nets. Read that again. 127-82. That’s a 45-point defeat to Brooklyn — an organization that is actively not trying to win games this season. Oof.
Milwaukee has had four days to shake off that performance, and it’ll now welcome the Raptors to Wisconsin, who at 16-11 are the third seed in the Eastern Conference.
Can the Bucks bounce back? Let’s preview tonight’s game with the help of some of some odds and lines on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Raptors vs. Bucks prediction, preview
Obviously, the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) continues to be the defining story of this Bucks’ season. The Greek Freak, who is averaging 28.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per contest, has already missed 10 games in 2025-26, and Milwaukee is 2-8 when it’s All-Star is unavailable. For the campaign as a whole, the Bucks have seen their offensive rating fall from 126.3 with Antetokounmpo on the floor to a staggering 108.3 with the veteran forward on the sideline — a difference of 18.0 points per 100 possessions.
If that wasn’t enough, Milwaukee could also be without some very important secondary scoring options on Thursday, as both Kyle Kuzma (illness) and A.J. Green (shoulder) have been listed as questionable. Kuzma, in particular, has been crucial for the Bucks since replacing Antetokounmpo in the team’s starting five, with his 31-point performance last week against the Celtics serving as a massive reason why the team was able to pull off a stunning 116-101 upset. It would be asking a lot of players like Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. if Kuzma is unable to suit up. The matchup wouldn’t help much, either, as the Raptors rank seventh in the NBA in defensive rating (112.6).
That said, it’s not like Toronto is currently riding all that high. The Raptors had lost six of seven before a much-needed 106-96 victory over the Heat on Monday. It’s an eight-contest stretch where Toronto’s 108.4 offensive rating ranks 28th in the league, besting only the likes of the Kings and the Bulls — not exactly the kind of company a playoff hopeful wants to be keeping. In short, the Raptors have really missed RJ Barrett (knee) in the halfcourt, as the veteran wing was shooting a career-high 50.6% from the field before an injury that’s kept him out of the team’s past 10 matchups. Barrett will sit again this evening.
Still, it’s not all doom and gloom in the north. Toronto has two legitimate All-Star candidates in Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram, with the latter miraculously leading the NBA in minutes logged (924). We’ll see how long the former second-overall pick is able to sustain that workload — Ingram’s never played more than 64 games in a single season — but it’s certainly encouraging after inking a long-term deal with the Raptors.
Raptors vs. Bucks pick, best bet
Best Bet: Under 219.5 (-112)
These teams rank 25th and 26th, respectively, in offensive rating since the beginning of December. The Bucks, in particular, can not score consistently without Giannis Antetokounmpo on the floor. It isn’t the largest total I’ve ever seen, but I’ll still bank on the under.
