Bucks vs Knicks Odds, Picks, and Predictions Tonight: Milwaukee Feeling Jolly in Christmas Day Tilt

All the Milwaukee Bucks want for Christmas is to sweep this two-game mini-set against the New York Knicks in Gotham. All the Knicks want is to not have to play the Bucks again. 

Milwaukee will look for its fourth straight win over New York this season and is listed as a three-point road favorite in the NBA odds. Because of the extra matchup from the In-Season Tournament, there’s still a fifth matchup looming in April

Can New York put an end to an ugly nine-game losing skid to Milwaukee? Find out in my free NBA picks for the Bucks vs Knicks on Monday, December 25.

Bucks vs Knicks odds

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Bucks vs Knicks predictions

Who didn’t get off for the Milwaukee Bucks in a 130-111 clubbing of the New York Knicks on Friday night? 

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with 28 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, while Bobby Portis came off the bench for 23 points and 11 rebounds. The Bucks got the lead early and cruised most of the contest, blowing it open for good midway through the fourth with an 11-0 run. Milwaukee shot 52.7% for the game, including a deft 16-for-32 from downtown.

Hard to pin this one on anything in particular, except a little more support for New York’s stars. Jalen Brunson had a game-high 36 points to go along with seven assists, while Julius Randle finished with 26 points and eight boards.

R.J. Barrett struggled mightily — shooting 5-for-17 for the night — and the Knicks' bench was outscored 39-13. With Mitchell Robinson (ankle) possibly done for the season, their only true center is Isaiah Hartenstein, who held his own with 12 points and 13 rebounds last game. As a team, though, the Knicks were topped on the glass to the count of 53-41.

New York is a Top-10 team in points allowed — surrendering just 112 per contest — but it's been lit on fire in the last two matchups. Across this losing streak that started in November of 2021, Milwaukee is outscoring New York by an average of 119-107.9.

The Knicks will compete, but in the end, they’re currently not constructed to handle this version of the Bucks

My best bet: Bucks moneyline (-155 at DraftKings) 50% boost available

Bucks vs Knicks same-game parlay

Bucks moneyline

Giannis Antetokounmpo Under 31.5 points

Jalen Brunson Under 26.5 points

50% boost available

+395 +593 at DraftKings

Start your Christmas day of betting right with this same-game parlay.

Giannis is definitely in the MVP race, but he’s been dealing with a foot injury that landed him on the injured list before their game Friday. 

Hard to say he was limited with 28-7-7, but since his 64-point outburst against the Pacers, he’s topped 30 points just once across his last five contests. That hasn’t been a problem as the team has won all those games, but the diversity of weapons has been on display. 

While Lillard has been most noticeable — averaging 31 points over that stretch — Portis is putting up 18.8, Middleton is at a 17-point clip, and even Lopez is averaging 11.2 points. Look for a wide variety of players picking apart New York on Christmas Day.

I’ll finish with Brunson, who was unstoppable last game. It’s just that, it’s hard for the diminutive guard to sustain that level of play. Just once this season Brunson followed up a 30+ point game with another. For every other occurrence, he has averaged 13.3 points in the next game. 

In none of those contests did Brunson surpass his 26.5-point total set for Monday. The closest he came was a 25-point effort in a 117-100 loss to the Timberwolves, a game after dropping 32 on the Hornets. 

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Bucks vs Knicks spread and Over/Under analysis

There has been some movement on the spread, with Milwaukee opening as low as a 2-point favorite and since moving to as high as 5.0. The highest spread available is now set at 4.5 points.  

The Knicks have failed to cover the spread in eight of their last nine Christmas Day games. Milwaukee has dominated this head-to-head, going 7-1-2 against the spread in the last 10, including a 3-0-2 ATS mark in the last four meetings in 2023.

The last couple of matchups have been huge scores and now the total reflects that, with the highest figure available set at 241.5 points. This line was as low as 222.5 on December 21, but I suspect most sites will be in the 240 range soon.

The teams went under the 244.5 line set last game, and the Under has hit in four of the last five head-to-head matchups.

Bucks vs Knicks betting trend to know

Seven of the Knicks' last eight home games against the Bucks have gone Under the total. Find more NBA betting trends for Bucks vs. Knicks.

Bucks vs Knicks game info

Bucks vs Knicks latest injuries

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