Bucks vs. Warriors Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Wednesday, Jan. 7

The Warriors are 11-5 at home this season.

The Milwaukee Bucks and forward Giannis Antetokounmpo are underdogs on Wednesday. / David Banks-Imagn Images

Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors lost a road game with the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, but they’re favored at home on Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Bucks have not played since winning by 17 against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, but they remain under .500 this season as they look to push for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee upset Golden State without Giannis earlier this season, but the Warriors have been a much better team at home (11-5) than on the road this season.

Still, this is a tough matchup with Antetokounmpo expected to play, as the Warriors lack size in the frontcourt to make things tough on the two-time MVP. 

Both of these teams appear to be contenders that are on their way out, but one of them will get a crucial win for their playoff standing on Wednesday.

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, players to watch in the prop market and my prediction for the second of two meetings between these teams this season. 

Bucks vs. Warriors Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Bucks +6.5 (-118)
• Warriors -6.5 (-102)

Moneyline

• Bucks: +190
• Warriors: -230

Total

• 230.5 (Over -108/Under -112)

Bucks vs. Warriors How to Watch

• Date: Wednesday, Jan. 7
• Time: 10:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Chase Center
• How to Watch (TV): NBC Sports Bay Area, FanDuel Sports Network (Local)
• Bucks record: 16-20
• Warriors record: 19-18

Bucks vs. Warriors Injury Reports

Bucks Injury Report

• Alex Antetokounmpo – out
• Pete Nance – out
• Mark Sears – out
• Taurean Prince – out

Warriors Injury Report

• Draymond Green – questionable
• Gary Payton II – questionable
• Malevy Leons – out
• Seth Curry – out
• LJ Cryer – out

Bucks vs. Warriors Best NBA Prop Bets

Bucks Best NBA Prop Bet

• Bobby Portis OVER 5.5 Rebounds (-127)

In today’s best NBA props at SI Betting, I broke down why Portis may be undervalued against Golden State:

Milwaukee Bucks big man Bobby Portis is averaging 6.5 rebounds per game this season, so I’m a little surprised to see his rebounds prop down at 5.5 against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.

Golden State ranks 22nd in the NBA in rebound percentage and 20th in opponent rebounds per game entering Wednesday’s contest. 

So, that sets up well for Portis on the glass, as he’s pulled down six or more boards in 23 of his 36 games this season. While that number could take a hit with Giannis Antetokounmpo healthy again, Portis is still averaging 5.8 boards per game when the two-time MVP is in the lineup.

I think he’s worth a shot against one of the smaller frontcourts in the NBA.

Bucks vs. Warriors Prediction and Pick

The Bucks are a much better team with Giannis in the lineup (13-9 this season), and they’ve actually done a solid job overall as road underdogs, going 6-4 against the spread.

So, I lean with the Bucks on Wednesday night with this spread set outside two possessions.

Golden State has basically been a .500 team all season long, and now it could be down two of its top defenders in Draymond Green and Gary Payton II (both questionable) on Wednesday.

The Warriors are a much better team at home (11-5), but they’ve covered the spread in just seven of 13 games as home favorites. Plus, they already lost to this Milwaukee team in a game that Giannis missed!

Golden State outranks Milwaukee in net rating, but the Bucks are simply a different team to bet on when Antetokounmpo plays. They are +10.2 points per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor this season and -9.1 points per 100 possessions when he’s on the bench/out of the lineup. 

I think Milwaukee can hang around with Giannis set to play 30-plus minutes on Wednesday.

Pick: Bucks +6.5 (-118 at DraftKings)

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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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