Nuggets vs. Bucks Betting Preview for Wednesday: MVP Clash Between Antetokounmpo and Jokic (Archive)
NBA Pick: Over 231.5 (-110) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
The winners of the last four NBA MVP awards will meet in Milwaukee on Wednesday night as the Milwaukee Bucks face the Denver Nuggets in a clash of two of the top teams in their respective conferences.
Denver leads the Western Conference by two and a half games, sporting a 34-14 record. They’re also one of just two teams in the West with a winning record on the road, at 12-10. Milwaukee is 30-17 and four games back, in third place in the Eastern Conference but just half a game behind Philadelphia for second place. The Bucks have the second-best home record in the East at 18-5.
Denver is led by Nikola Jokic, the reigning two-time MVP, while Milwaukee will turn to Giannis Antetokounmpo, who won the two awards before that. Which MVP’s team will be tonight’s winning NBA pick?
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Denver Nuggets vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Wednesday, January 25, 2023 – 08:00 PM EST at Fiserv Forum
Jokic Returns for Denver
The Nuggets have won 10 of their last 11, getting back on the winning track at New Orleans on Tuesday after having their nine-game winning streak snapped by Oklahoma City over the weekend. This is Denver’s second back-to-back in eight days but just its sixth of the season.
The Nuggets are 4-1 in the second game of back-to-backs so far this year. Their only loss in that situation was in late December in Sacramento, which was also the only other time they had to play both ends of the back-to-back on the road.
The Nuggets will have Jokic back at full strength for Wednesday’s game. He had missed two straight with a hamstring problem, but he returned in New Orleans on Tuesday and recorded a triple-double, his 15th of the year. He’s nearly averaging a triple-double on the year, with 25.1 ppg, 11 rebounds, and 9.9 assists. He was right on that in his return, with 25, 11, and 10. He also scored the game-winner in a one-point victory over the Pelicans.
Denver’s offense looked sluggish with Jokic out, but assuming his hamstring can hold up to two nights in a row, the Nuggets should be back to the form that has them second in the league in efficiency. Denver hits more than half of its shots and almost 40% from three, which leads the NBA.
The Nuggets also got coach Mike Malone back on Tuesday after he missed four games with COVID. Denver has a pair of players whose availability is listed as day-to-day. Michael Porter Jr. has missed the last two games attending to a family matter. Bones Hyland missed Tuesday’s game after spraining his finger.
Greek Freak Returns for Milwaukee
The Bucks have won three of four, including Monday night at Detroit, when Milwaukee put up 150 points in a 20-point win over the Pistons. That game marked the return of Antetokounmpo, who had missed the previous five games with a sore left knee. His playing time was limited in his return, but he made the most of it, scoring 29 points in just 26 minutes, with 12 rebounds and four assists.
Milwaukee also saw the return of Khris Middleton on Monday. He missed the previous 19 games with a right knee problem and was playing in just his eighth game of the season. He played for just 15 minutes. So, both Antetokounmpo and Middleton will likely both be on reduced minutes again on Wednesday.
The Bucks will still be without Bobby Portis Jr., who left Monday’s game with a knee injury, and Serge Ibaka, who is out due to personal reasons while the team tries to find a trade partner for him. Rookie MarJon Beauchamp is day-to-day as he recovers from a right wrist contusion.
The Picks
The injured stars on both teams might be feeling the pain in their second games back from injury, but both teams feature some of the league’s top offenses with defenses that are just middle of the pack.
Look for a high-scoring affair that remains close. The eight-point spread seems a bit high for Milwaukee, so we’re going with the Nuggets keeping it closer than that. It wouldn’t be a shock to see the Nuggets win outright, so the moneyline at +270 NBA odds might also be worth consideration.
Score Prediction: Bucks 125 - Nuggets 121
NBA Pick: Over 231.5 (-110) at BetOnline
NBA Pick: Nuggets +8 (-110) at BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.