San Antonio Spurs vs. Milwaukee Bucks: 3 Best Bets Without Victor Wembanyama

The San Antonio Spurs finally snapped their 18-game losing streak against the Los Angeles Lakers, and are looking to avoid the start of a new one. After getting out-shot by the New Orleans Pelicans, the Spurs take their show to the Midwest in an effort against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Victor Wembanyama will be missing the game with right ankle soreness, although there seems to be no connection between him sitting out and his rolled ankle sustained against the Houston Rockets, which was brushed off. The only Buck likely to miss this game is Jae Crowder, who is out due to adductor surgery.

The Bucks are riding a four-game win streak, in large part due to the play of Antetokunmpo, who has led Milwaukee to the second seed in the NBA Eastern Conference. The Greek Freak is very much in the running for a third MVP award.

The Spurs have failed to defend the three-point line all season, and the Bucks currently have the third-best three-point percentage in the league, so locking down the perimeter without Wembanyama in the paint needs to be a top priority heading into the contest. Check out the lines and picks below, courtesy of SI Sportsbook.

The Lines

Point spread: Bucks -16.5 (-110)/Spurs +16.5 (-118)

Moneyline: Bucks (-1786)/Spurs (+825)

Over/under: 249.5

Our Picks

Safe pick: Devin Vassell OVER 19.5 points (-133)

The Bucks gave up great defense for offense this summer, sending away Jrue Holiday in a blockbuster deal that landed Damian Lillard. With Wembanyama missing the game and Giannis and Brook Lopez down low, the Spurs’ interior offense will be a non-factor, meaning Vassell will get the green light to shoot as much as he wants. Milwaukee has a solid perimeter defense, but Vassell has slowly been emerging as a top-tier shooter, so his getting at least 20 points should be easy.

Opponent scoring pick: Damian Lillard OVER 27.5 points (-120)

The Spurs are horrible at guarding the three-point line, and with Lillard taking over eight threes per night and making 36 percent of them, he should be able to shoot the Spurs out of the building. Over his last two games, Dame has been on fire, shooting an insane 11-for-22 from three en route to 36 points per game. It will take a lot more than the Spurs’ perimeter defense to stop him, and he should light the Spurs up.

Power Rankings: Spurs Rising After Losing Streak Snapped?

Opponent defense pick: Brook Lopez OVER 2.5 blocks (-110)

This season, Jeremy Sochan is falling for the same traps that Keldon Johnson did earlier in his career. Despite being an adequate–if not solid–shooter from distance, he drives to the paint, picks up his dribble under the basket, and then tries to pivot free to get a layup. Sochan does not pass to the open man in this situation, instead trying to be crafty. Brook Lopez has been around far too long for this to work on him, and without Wembanyama’s length down low, the block leader should be able to pad his stats tonight.