Update: Antetokounmpo is set to play in this one. The Bucks are now 4.5-point favorites and the total has moved to 218.5. We’ve still got New York as the ATS pick and the over on the total.
The New York Knicks (45-32) will take on the Milwaukee Bucks (47-30) on Sunday. Tipoff from the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the game will air on NBATV. This will be the fifth and final matchup between these Eastern Conference opponents. They played an extra matchup in the inaugural NBA in-season tournament quarterfinals. So far, Milwaukee is 3-1 against New York this season.
The Knicks will be without power forward Julius Randle in this matchup. The team announced last Thursday that he was undergoing season-ending right should surgery. Small forward Bojan Bogdanovic is questionable with a left wrist sprain.
The Bucks have a light injury report heading into Sunday, with only one player ruled out so far. Forward MarJon Beauchamp is day-to-day with an ankle injury and will not play in the game. Point guard Patrick Beverly (ankle) and star power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (hamstring) are both questionable for Sunday’s matchup.
Milwaukee is the 3.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook. The Bucks have -162 moneyline odds, while the Knicks are installed as the +136 underdog. The point total is set at 220.
Knicks vs. Bucks, 7 p.m. ET
Pick ATS: New York +3.5
Each team needs to pick up a win in this game as New York has lost four of its last five and Milwaukee has lost three in a row. The Bucks have not been good against the spread this year, covering at the fourth-worst rate in the league. Alternatively, New York has covered the spread in 54.1% of its games, the eighth-best mark in the NBA. After a loss, the Knicks are the second-best team ATS, while Milwaukee is the second-worst. Even without Randle, New York should keep this one close enough to cover.
Over/Under: Over 220
Both Milwaukee and New York have had more of their games hit the over than the under. Their four matchups so far have ended with 215, 268, 241 and 251 points. The Knicks have scored at least 112 points in five of their last seven. The Bucks have scored at least 111 points in eight of their last 10. Given these recent results, and how these teams fared earlier in the season, I think the over hits on Sunday.