Bucks vs Suns Odds, Picks & Props to Target (March 24)
By Chris Amberley in NBA Basketball
Published:
- The Phoenix Suns are 2.5-point favorites over the Milwaukee Bucks tonight
- Damian Lillard (calf) is out for Milwaukee
- See my Bucks vs Suns odds, picks and props to target, below
The suddenly surging Phoenix Suns (34-37, 22-13 home) host the shorthanded Milwaukee Bucks (40-30, 16-18 away) tonight. I’m betting the Suns stay hot, and online sportsbooks agree. They’ve pegged Phoenix as home chalk in the NBA odds, as they chase a fourth straight win. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:10pm PT / 10:10 pm ET from the Footprint Center, in Phoenix, AZ, with NBA TV providing the coverage.
Bucks vs Suns Odds
The Suns are currently favored by 2.5-points and -155 on the moneyline. The total sits at 223.5, with the Bucks coming back as +130 underdogs. Per the NBA public betting trends, the spread peaked at Phoenix -3.5, before inching back towards Milwaukee. The over/under meanwhile, opened at 226.5, but a flurry of under money slashed it by 3 points.
Bucks vs Suns Picks
- Bucks vs Suns Pick: Phoenix Suns -2.5 (-115)
My favorite pick for this contest is the Suns -2.5. Phoenix is getting healthy at the right time, and is a completely different team at home. Milwaukee on the other hand, will be without their second leading scorer Damian Lillard (calf), and their fourth best scorer and second leading rebounder Bobby Portis (suspension).
The Bucks are also being propped up by recent results, which are extremely misleading. Milwaukee is fresh off back-to-back wins over Sacramento and the Lakers. LA didn’t dress Luka Doncic or LeBron James, while it took a Kings fourth quarter meltdown for the Bucks to prevail.
In Milwaukee’s previous two games against stiffer competition, they got absolutely worked. OKC blew them out by 16, while the Warriors beat them by 11. The Bucks averaged only 99 points in those outings, shooting below 40% in both contests.
As for the Suns, they’re expecting Nick Richards, Mason Plumlee and Grayson Allen to return tonight. Phoenix is averaging 125 points over their three-game win streak, and just knocked off the Cavs, a top-three NBA Championship odds contender.
Kevin Durant turned back the clock versus Cleveland with a 42-point effort. That followed a 40+ point game from Devin Booker two nights earlier. The Suns moved into a Play-In Tournament position with their latest win, which is huge given their upcoming schedule. Dates with Boston, Minnesota and Houston loom later this week, making tonight’s game even more important.
Another reason to like Phoenix tonight, is the fact they’re playing at home. They’ve racked up 22 wins in their own building, nearly twice as many as they have on the road.
Over the last three games, they’re third in offensive rating and seventh in defensive rating. Over the same time frame, the Bucks are 17th at the offensive end. Milwaukee averages 6 fewer points than their season-long average without Lillard, as they just don’t have the depth to replace his 25 points and 7 assists.
MIL vs PHX Player Props
NBA props from DraftKings Sportsbook on March 24.
- MIL vs PHX Player Prop pick: Nick Richards Under 8.5 Rebounds (-130)
Switching over to the player props market, where I’m betting under 8.5 rebounds for Nick Richards. Tonight marks his first game back from a calf injury, and there’s a good chance he gets eased back into action.
Also working against him, is the depth Phoenix has down the middle. Richards will be fighting for minutes with not only Mason Plumlee, but also sophomore Oso Ighodaro. The 7-footer was a bright spot in Richards and Plumlee’s absence, dominating on the glass. He racked up 13 boards last time out, and also chipped in 4 assists.
That gives him 6+ rebounds in five of his last six games, while Richards, even when healthy, has reached 9 rebounds in only three of eight March outings.
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Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
