Knicks vs. Bucks Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Friday, March 28

Betting odds, pick and prediction for the New York Knicks-Milwaukee Bucks matchup on Friday night.

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks are treading water in the Eastern Conference standings with Jalen Brunson out of the lineup due to an ankle injury, and they’ll take on another Eastern Conference playoff contender – the Milwaukee Bucks – on Friday.

The injury bug has crushed the Bucks, as Damian Lillard is out indefinitely with a blood clot in his calf and Giannis Antetokounmpo missed Wednesday’s loss to the Denver Nuggets with a foot injury.

He is listed as questionable for Friday's matchup with the Knicks.  

New York is also dealing with injury issues, as Cam Payne left Wednesday’s game early with an injury and Miles McBride has been out with a groin ailment. So, which team has the edge in this matchup?  

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, players to watch in the prop market and my prediction for this Eastern Conference showdown on Friday night.

Knicks vs. Bucks Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Knicks -1 (-110)
• Bucks +1 (-110)

Moneyline

• Knicks: -118
• Bucks: -102

Total

• 221 (Over -110/Under -110)

Knicks vs. Bucks How to Watch

• Date: Friday, March 28
• Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Fiserv Forum
• How to Watch (TV): MSG, FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin
• Knicks record: 45-27
• Bucks record: 40-32

Knicks vs. Bucks Injury Reports

Knicks Injury Report

• Jalen Brunson – out
• Miles McBride – out
• Cam Payne – out
• Arile Hukporti – out
• Kevin McCullar Jr. – questionable
• Pacome Dadiet – questionable

Bucks Injury Report

• Giannis Antetokounmpo – questionable
• Damian Lillard – out
• Bobby Portis – out
• Jericho Sims – out

Knicks vs. Bucks Best NBA Prop Bets

Note: These prop bets were written before odds were released and are suggestions based on previous player performance. 

New York Knicks Best NBA Prop Bet

• Tyler Kolek OVER Assists

With so many guards banged up for the Knicks at the moment, rookie point guard Tyler Kolek could have a major role on Friday.

In three games since entering the rotation for the Knicks, Kolek has 24 assists and just one turnover despite playing less than 20 minutes per game.

The New York offense needs a playmaker, and Kolek — despite his scoring deficiencies — has proven to be able to get the ball to his teammates in favorable spots. He has at least seven dimes in each of his last three games.

Knicks vs. Bucks Prediction and Pick

The Knicks and Bucks are both banged up heading into this matchup, but this game is going to depend a lot of Giannis' status, which bettors are going to want to check as the day goes on.

The Bucks hung around a bit with Denver without the two-time MVP, but it's hard to trust the Bucks to cover the spread in any spot if him and Dame don't play.

While the Knicks are really banged up at the guard position, they still have Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart active for this game. The Knicks -- despite struggling on offense -- have taken a step forward defensively over their last 10 games, ranking 10th in the league in defensive rating.

I lean with New York to bounce back at home. It has two wins by 20-plus points against Milwaukee this season, and the Bucks are struggling overall as of late, ranking 16th in net rating in their last 10 games while posting a 4-6 record.

Pick: Knicks -1 (-110 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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