Cavaliers vs. Bucks NBA expert prediction and odds for Wednesday, Jan. 24 (Cavs undervalued)
The Cleveland Cavaliers may be undervalued as major underdogs against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.
By Peter Dewey
There are a lot of moving parts in the Milwaukee Bucks-Cleveland Cavaliers matchup on Wednesday, but it’s the Cavs who may be undervalued.
Milwaukee fired head coach Adrian Griffin on Tuesday, quickly moving to hire veteran head coach Doc Rivers as his replacement. Milwaukee has struggled defensively this season, but the team still comes into this game at 30-13.
The Bucks were blown out by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the last meeting between these teams, but Giannis Antetokounmpo did not play.
With Rivers taking over as the Bucks’ head coach, do we see the team turn things around on defense?
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Here’s a look at the latest odds and a best bet for this divisional matchup:
Cavaliers vs. Bucks odds, spread and total
Cavaliers vs. Bucks how to watch
- Date: Wednesday, Jan. 24
- Time: 8 p.m. EST
- Venue: Fiserv Forum
- How to watch (TV): Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports Wisconsin
- Cavs record: 26-15
- Bucks record: 30-13
Cavaliers vs. Bucks injury reports
Cleveland Cavaliers injury report
- Emoni Bates – out
- Darius Garland – out
- Ty Jerome – out
- Isaiah Mobley – out
- Evan Mobley – out
- Caris LeVert – questionable
- Tristan Thompson – out
Milwaukee Bucks injury report
- Chris Livingston – out
- TyTy Washington – out
- Giannis Antetokounmpo – probable
Cavaliers vs. Bucks key players to watch
Cleveland Cavaliers
Donovan Mitchell: Cleveland’s eight-game winning streak has been highlighted by some impressive play from Donovan Mitchell. The All-NBA guard is averaging 27.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game over that stretch. He dropped 31 points in 26 minutes in the team’s win over Milwaukee earlier this month.
Milwaukee Bucks
Damian Lillard: There is a direct correlation between Lillard’s success scoring the ball and the Bucks’ record this season.
Is Damian Lillard the key to Milwaukee's play?
— Peter Dewey (@peterdewey2) January 24, 2024
When Dame scores 20+ points:
Bucks are 25-4
When he scores less than 20:
Bucks are 5-6
They are also 0-3 without Dame this season. pic.twitter.com/lJBxwPxtwY
Lillard had just 17 points in a blowout loss to Cleveland the last time these teams played (Giannis missed that game). On the season, Lillard is averaging 25.3 points per game while shooting 42.7 percent from the field and 35.1 percent from 3.
Cavaliers vs. Bucks prediction and pick
I’ll get straight to it.
Give me the points with the Cavs tonight.
Cleveland is 6-4 against the spread as a road dog this season, and the team has won eight straight entering this matchup.
The Bucks, on the other hand, are brutal as home favorites, going 8-13-1 against the spread on the season.
Milwaukee’s defense has been a disaster, ranking 21st in the league in defensive rating. The Cavs? Well they’re third in the league even without Evan Mobley being in the lineup over the past month.
The Bucks are feeling some pressure after the firing of Griffin, and I think they could be in a for a rock fight in this game – especially after struggling with the Detroit Pistons over the weekend.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.
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