- Milwaukee is a 5-point favorite over Miami as the Eastern Conference’s best rivalry resumes
- Damian Lillard torched the 76ers for 39 points in his Bucks debut on Friday
- Monday night’s game tips off from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI at 8:00pm ET
Jimmy Butler and the Heat stunned Giannis Antetokounmpo in the first round of last year’s postseason, knocking the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed out of playoffs in just five games. The defeat led to big changes in Milwaukee, who fired head coach Mike Budenholzer and swung a massive deal for Trailblazers legend Damian Lillard.
On Monday, the new-look Bucks will be out for revenge against Miami. Before we look at the latest odds for the game, be sure to check out the 2023-24 NBA MVP Betting Odds and our guide to betting on NBA basketball.
Bucks vs Heat
 |
Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
| Miami Heat | +5 (-110) | Ov 223 (-110) | |
| Milwaukee Bucks | -5 (-110) | Un 223 (-110) |
Lillard starts hot
Milwaukee’s deal for Damian Lillard is already a home run simply for the fact that it led to Giannis Antetokounmpo signing a three-year, $186 million contract extension. However, the 33-year-old guard also wasted no time showing his new team what he could do, scoring 39 points in his debut on Thursday. The Greek Freak added 23 points and 13 rebounds in a 118-117 victory over Joel Embiid and the Sixers.
The Bucks also hosted the Hawks on Sunday night, so they may have tired legs compared to the Heat, who last played on Saturday night. Miami is looking to end a two-game skid following losses to the Celtics and Timberwolves. Jimmy Butler sat out the loss to Minnesota so he should be fresh to face the team he terrorized in last year’s postseason.
To beat the Bucks you have to beat Giannis for 3 quarters then Dame in the 4th pic.twitter.com/rG4enzvo3l
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) October 29, 2023
Jimmy Buckets
Jimmy Butler averaged 37.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists in a 4-1 series win over Milwaukee in the first round last year. The 34-year-old has had a modest start to the 2023 regular season, registering 19 points and 13 rebounds in a 103-102 win over Detroit and just 14 points in Friday’s loss to Boston.
For most of the offseason, it looked like Lillard would be joining “Playoff Jimmy” in South Beach. But when Pat Riley didn’t have the assets to swing a deal for the seven-time NBA All-Star, Dame joined forces with a two-time NBA MVP in Milwaukee instead.
Milwaukee vs Miami
Milwaukee is 5-point home chalk on Monday with the over/under set at 223 points. The Bucks were 24-18-2 against the spread in Fiserv Forum last season, covering in 57.1% of their games, and were 33-11 straight up. That was the fourth-best home record in the NBA after Denver, Memphis and Golden State.
Miami was 23-30 on the road last year, with a 24-28-1 record against the spread. They’ve also dropped both road games this season, covering in only one of the two. But, this is a franchise that seemingly saves their best for the Bucks. Expect Bam Adebayo to play his usual brand of tough defense on Giannis.
T-Wolves fans were chanting “Where is Jimmy?” to Jimmy Butler 😅
He blew kisses back at them 🤣 pic.twitter.com/lPfdda2Y4d
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 29, 2023
Best Bet
Both teams will be looking to send a message on Monday night. While Erik Spoelstra’s club thrives in the role of the underdog, it’s fair to wonder if they have the talent to match up with Milwaukee following the Lillard acquisition.
Dame scored 14 of his 39 points in the final four minutes of the Bucks’ season-opening win and Giannis was glad to defer to his new teammate with the game on the line. With the two stars showing instant chemistry, we like Milwaukee to cover the 5-point spread and get a measure of revenge on Miami with the OVER 223.
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