A Sunday matinee in the NBA will feature two teams who met brutally disappointing ends in the bubble, with the L.A. Clippers taking on the Milwaukee Bucks.
Both teams have seemingly recovered from an early end to last season, with L.A. and Milwaukee firmly in the mix in the Western and Eastern Conferences.
Can Milwaukee advance their win streak to five games? Find out with Clippers vs. Bucks picks and predictions for February 28.
Los Angeles Clippers at Milwaukee Bucks betting preview
Injuries
Clippers: Patrick Patterson PF (Questionable).
Bucks: Jrue Holiday PG (Questionable).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
Over is 7-2 in Clippers last 9 vs. a team with a winning straight up record. Find more NBA betting trends for Clippers vs. Bucks.
NBA sharp money and line movement report
By Patrick EversonBoth teams have spent some time as the favorite since this line opened Bucks -1.5 Saturday afternoon at FanDuel. Milwaukee stretched to -2 a couple of times, then the line jumped the fence to Clippers -1, and shortly before tipoff, the Bucks are back out to -2. However, the Clippers are attracting 54 percent of bets and 64 percent of money on the spread. The total opened at 237, peaked at 237.5 and is now all the way down to 232, although the Over is getting 64 percent of bets/69 percent of money.
Check out the full line movement for this game
Against the spread (ATS) pick
The Bucks, who rolled through the past two regular seasons, continue to be confounding in 2021. Their current four-game win streak followed up a five-game losing streak, but it's the latter that tells us more about Milwaukee. All season, the Bucks have beaten up on bad teams and been outclassed by good teams. In their last 16 games against teams with a record above .600, the Bucks are a hideous 3-13 ATS.
L.A., meanwhile, has been considerably more consistent, at least with both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the lineup. At 24-11 SU and 20-15 ATS, the Clippers are again right in the mix atop the west. Their trip to Milwaukee is game number three of a five-game road trip which they opened with a split against the Grizzlies in Memphis.
Until Milwaukee proves they can hang with the best teams this season, we aren't trusting them in this spot — especially with Leonard and George set to play.
PREDICTION: Clippers +1.5 (-110)
Over/Under pick
One thing that has not wavered for either side this season has been their potent offenses. The Bucks (20-12-1 O/U) are second in points per game and efficiency and third in offensive rating. The Clippers (20-14-1 O/U), meanwhile, are fifth in points per game, third in efficiency and second in offensive rating.
While the total is quite high, we have no problem trusting the Over in a game that will feature four high-level scorers in George, Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.
PREDICTION: Over 237 (-110)
First half prop pick
The Clippers are one of the NBA's best first half teams, currently sitting fourth in the league at 20-13-1 ATS through the first two quarters of games. We like them to earn a win in Milwaukee against a Bucks team that has struggled vs. good opposition.
However, L.A. is less dominant in the first half on the road, going just 8-7-1 ATS. The Bucks, meanwhile, owned the first half of games to begin 2021 and have remained dominant at home against the spread through two quarters, with an 11-6 ATS mark.
With Milwaukee's first half form and the fact they will be fresh after two days off, compared to just one day off on a long road trip for the Clippers, we like the Bucks to win ATS in the first half.
PREDICTION: Bucks 1H -0.5 (-114)
Clippers vs Bucks betting card
- Clippers +1.5 (-110)
- Over 237 (-110)
- Bucks 1H -0.5 (-114)
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