The Dallas Mavericks vs Milwaukee Bucks matchup is one of six games on the NBA's schedule for Saturday night. It's just the 84th regular season meeting between the two franchises, with the Bucks ahead with 45 wins. Let's take a look at the Dallas Mavericks vs Milwaukee Bucks prediction and betting tips for Nov. 18.
Milwaukee swept the Mavericks last season, winning matchups on Nov. 27 and Dec. 9, 2022. They have won six of the last 10 regular season games against Dallas. The last time the Mavericks beat the Bucks was on Apr. 3.
Saturday's game is also a showdown between two of the best teams in the league. The duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are slowly hitting their stride, while Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving look more cohesive than they did last season.
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Dallas Mavericks vs Milwaukee Bucks preview, prediction, odds and betting tips
The Dallas Mavericks vs Milwaukee Bucks is scheduled on Saturday, Nov. 18 at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee Wisconsin. The game begins at 8:00 p.m. EST and will be televised on Bally Sports Southwest-Dallas and Bally Sports Wisconsin.
Moneyline: Mavericks (+150) vs Bucks (-179)
Spread: Mavericks +4.5 (-109) vs Bucks -4.5 (-109)
Total (O/U): Mavericks -110 (o242.5) vs Bucks -110 (u242.5)
Dallas Mavericks vs Milwaukee Bucks Preview
The Dallas Mavericks are coming off a 130-117 win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.
The Mavericks have a record of 9-3, which is tied for the best in the Western Conference. They have also won three of their last four games heading into Saturday's matchup.
Meanwhile, the Bucks are riding a three-game winning streak after beating the Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors and Charlotte Hornets. The Bucks will be playing the second game of a back-to-back after beating the Hornets on Friday.
Dallas Mavericks vs Milwaukee Bucks Predicted Lineups
The Dallas Mavericks will continue to be without Maxi Kleber on Saturday due to a right toe injury. Coach Jason Kidd is expected to use a starting lineup consisting of Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, Derrick Jones Jr., Grant Williams and Dereck Lively II.
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks had Giannis Antetokounmpo in their injury report on Friday due to a calf injury. He still played against the Charlotte Hornets, so he will likely join Adrian Griffin's starting five along with Damian Lillard, Malik Beasley, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez.
Dallas Mavericks vs Milwaukee Bucks Betting Tips
Giannis Antetokounmpo has an over/under of 30.5 points, which is higher than his season average of 28.3 points.
Antetokounmpo is nursing an injury, so it might be safer to bet on him to go under. It's worth noting that before sitting out on Nov. 15, Giannis scored 54, 35 and 35 points in his last three games.
Damian Lillard is favored to go under 27.5 points. Lillard is averaging just 24.6 points this season, so it's a safe bet for him to go under. He has only reached 30 points in four games this season and scored lower than 20 three times.
Luka Doncic, meanwhile, has an over/under of 29.5 points, which is below the 30.7 points per game he's averaging this season. Doncic has gone under 29.5 points in his last two games but will likely have a big game. He's averaging 29.8 points in his last four matchups with the Bucks.
Dallas Mavericks vs Milwaukee Bucks Prediction
The Milwaukee Bucks are favored to beat the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. The Bucks are on a three-game winning streak and have the size advantage.
Dallas' three losses came against the Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans, three teams with size. Recent history suggests that the Mavericks will be outmatched by the Bucks.
However, it might be worth it to bet on the Mavericks on this one, as their offense is on another level this season. The prediction is a likely close win for the underdog Mavericks. Due to the offense of both teams, the total could go over.
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