Bucks vs. Spurs Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Thursday, Jan. 15

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks desperately need to rebound from a blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but they are massive underdogs on Thursday against the San Antonio Spurs.

Milwaukee was crushed by the Anthony Edwards-less Timberwolves on Tuesday night, and it’s now six games under .500 and outside of the play-in tournament picture in the Eastern Conference as it hits the halfway point of the regular season.

The Bucks may need to make a move at the deadline to have any playoff hopes, and there’s no guarantee that a move alone will be enough to keep Giannis with the franchise for the long haul.

Meanwhile, the Spurs are coming off a loss of their own to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, and they’re just 4-6 in their last 10 games. Can Victor Wembanyama turn things around as a home favorite on Thursday night?

Here’s a look at the odds, my favorite player prop and a prediction for this matchup between two teams that hope to end the regular season in the playoff field.

Bucks vs. Spurs Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

Bucks +7.5 (-108)
Spurs -7.5 (-112)

Moneyline

Bucks: +235
Spurs: -290

Total

225.5 (Over -105/Under -115)

Bucks vs. Spurs How to Watch

Date: Thursday, Dec. 15
Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Frost Bank Center
How to Watch (TV): FanDuel Sports Network (Local)
Bucks record: 17-23
Spurs record: 27-13

Bucks vs. Spurs Injury Reports

Bucks Injury Report

Giannis Antetokounmpo – probable
Alex Antetokounmpo – out
Taurean Prince – out

Spurs Injury Report

Devin Vassell – out
Harrison Ingram – out
Stanley Umude – out
David Jones Garcia – out

Bucks vs. Spurs Best NBA Prop Bets

Spurs Best NBA Prop Bet

Keldon Johnson OVER 19.5 Rebounds and Assists (-114)

In today’s best NBA prop bets for SI Betting, I shared why I’m backing Johnson in this matchup:

Devin Vassell is out once again for the San Antonio Spurs, which should set up an expanded role for Sixth Man of the Year candidate Keldon Johnson.

The former Kentucky star is averaging 13.6 points and 6.3 rebounds per game this season, but he’s upped that to 14.7 points per game in the month of January.

Johnson has shot the lights out this season, knocking down 56.5 percent of his shots from the field and 41.5 percent of his 3-point attempts. He’s also done a great job on the glass, pulling down nearly 60 percent of his 10.7 rebound chances per game.

The former first-round pick is playing 23.6 minutes per game this season, but he’s played 27 or more minutes in three of his last five games.

With a slightly expanded role, Johnson is a great bet to reach 20 combined points and rebounds against Milwaukee.

Bucks vs. Spurs Prediction and Pick

The Spurs have won just four of their last 10 games, but I’m buying them as a home favorite against the Bucks.

Milwaukee has looked awful in recent games, getting blown out by the Timberwolves (who didn’t have Rudy Gobert or Edwards) on Tuesday while also losing to a short-handed Denver Nuggets team on Sunday.

The Bucks are awful whenever Antetokounmpo leaves the floor (-11.1 points per 100 possessions), and that makes it tough to bet on them against a deep San Antonio team that has Victor Wembanyama returning to a bigger role after several games on a minutes restriction off the bench.

The Spurs are 13-5 at home this season while the Bucks are just 8-13 on the road, and Milwaukee has an average scoring margin of -6.8 points this season as a road dog.

I’m buying the Spurs, who have been a better team all season long, to win this matchup on Thursday.

Pick: Spurs -7.5 (-112 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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