Milwaukee Bucks vs. Portland Trail Blazers: Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 2/6/2023

Time: 10 p.m. ET

Venue: Moda Center, Portland, OR

Where to watch: ROOT-SP+, BSWI, NBA TV

DraftKings: Bucks -4.5

FanDuel: Bucks -4.5

BetMGM: Bucks -4.5

Caesars: Bucks -4.5

Bucks: 36-17

Blazers: 26-27

The All-Stars have been announced, the trade deadline is days away, and the NBA season has never seen so much parity and intrigue than it has at this moment. All you need to do is look at the Western Conference and laugh with a hearty burst at how ridiculous this season has been. You know what's not ridiculous? Our champion handicappers continuing to kill it on the NBA level over the last 30 days. All you need to do is take one look at what they're doing and see that this is the place to be as we purge through the second half of the season. Doc's Sports has been tremendous over the last month with a 17-8-0 run and net profit of $8,100. Team Del Genio has also been very good at an 11-6-1 run that has made for some very exciting runs near to the top. Basketball is taking full swing with football about to be set on the back burner, and you want to be locked in at bigal.com. Take advantage of our Best Bets page at bigal.com to see what our champion handicappers bring to the table. Make sure you're following winners at bigal.com and get that same kind of money in your pocket.

Bucks: won 123-115 vs. Heat

Blazers: lost 129-121 at Bulls

If you haven’t digested the thought of watching an elite Giannis Antetokounmpo take on a red-hot Damian Lillard for this game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday in Moda Center, you have no idea what you’re missing out on. Because this might be the Game of the Night on a calendar of some solid games.

 

Any time you get Giannis and Dame to go at it, it’s going to be a fun time. Add in the fact that neither of them can be stopped right now, and a basketball supernova may be descending on the Pacific Northwest with the state of Oregon in its sights.

 

Antetokounmpo has been dominant during this seven-game winning streak that the Bucks are on. The two-time MVP has averaged *checks glasses* 39.4 points, 14.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists during this win streak with games of 54 points and 50 points, and he added a triple-double of 35 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists when the Bucks defeated the Miami Heat 123-115 at home.

 

"He's got to be willing to pass and play with his teammates, and we've got to make shots," Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer said of Antetokounmpo. "I think he did that. It starts with him being aggressive, him drawing extra defenders. His teammates have got to make plays around him."

 

Milwaukee is only a game back of the Boston Celtics for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, which is a good time for the Bucks to get healthy and playing well at the same time. This is the first time since Nov. 21 that the teams have played each other, with Milwaukee winning 119-111, and Giannis finishing with 37 points.

 

Only one problem: Lillard wasn’t playing that game. And he’s doing that this time. In this seven-game stretch, Dame is averaging *checks notes* 40 points and has hit 36 3-pointers during this run. He’s averaging 40 points, the Blazers are 5-2 in their last seven, which includes a 129-121 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Sunday where Lillard dropped 40. Now, the Blazers are playing the second game of a back-to-back.

 

"I think it is a factor. You start to feel some fatigue," Lillard said of playing a road back-to-back. "You have some mistakes and some breakdowns and stuff like that, and I think that's probably something that comes from being out there back-to-back nights."

 

There’s just a time where things will be just an explosion of epic basketball proportions. This is the game for it to happen. This is also the night where Giannis and Dame will likely just crap the bed and let Khris Middleton or Jerami Grant take over for the fun. But in terms of basketball dealings, the Blazers playing at home off the second night of a back-to-back is a good thing, but can also play a huge fatigue factor. And if you’re tired while facing Giannis, things don’t seem ideal in that situation.

 

The Bucks are laying 4.5 in this one and I think that’s a fair number. They’ve had some close games during this winning streak, and it’s bound to end at some point, but Milwaukee’s perimeter defense will give Dame some tough looks. Bucks 118, Blazers 113

Bucks are 24-14 ATS as a favorite this season.

Bucks are 6-1 ATS after playing 3 consecutive home games this season.

Blazers are 13-10 ATS at home this season.

Blazers are 12-12 ATS off an over this season.

PG: Jrue Holiday

SG: Grayson Allen

SF: Khris Middleton

PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo

C: Brook Lopez

PG: Damian Lillard

SG: Anfernee Simons

SF: Josh Hart

PF: Jerami Grant

C: Drew Eubanks

Injury report

Bucks: Bobby Portis (knee, out), Serge Ibaka (personal, out)

Blazers: Jusuf Nurkic (calf, out), Justise Winslow (ankle, out)

Points: Giannis Antetokounmpo -- 32.4

Rebounds: Giannis Antetokounmpo -- 12.4

Assists: Jrue Holiday -- 7.1

Points: Damian Lillard -- 30.9

Rebounds: Jusuf Nurkic -- 9.4

Assists: Damian Lillard -- 7.3