Milwaukee Bucks vs Washington Wizards: Prediction and betting tips | Nov. 20, 2023

The Milwaukee Bucks and the Washington Wizards square off on Monday, marking their first matchup this season.

The Bucks will look to win their fifth straight game. They beat the Chicago Bulls (5-9), Toronto Raptors (6-7), Charlotte Hornets (3-9) and Dallas Mavericks (9-5) in their previous four games. Milwaukee (9-4) is third in the Eastern Conference.

Meanwhile, the Wizards will look to snap their five-game losing streak. Their last five losses came against the Charlotte Hornets (3-9), Brooklyn Nets (6-7), Toronto Raptors (6-7), Dallas Mavericks (9-5) and New York Knicks (8-5). Washington (2-10) is 14th in the East.

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Milwaukee Bucks vs Washington Wizards: Preview, betting tips and prediction

The Bucks and the Wizards’ matchup takes place at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. at 7 p.m. EST. It will air on Monumental Sports Network and Bally Sports Wisconsin. It can also be streamed live on NBA League Pass and FuboTV.

Moneyline: Bucks (-450) vs Wizards (+350)

Spread: Bucks (-9.5) vs Wizards (+9.5)

Over/Under: Bucks (244.5) vs Wizards (244.5)

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Milwaukee Bucks vs Washington Wizards: Preview

Milwaukee and Washington project to have most of their key players available on Monday night.

For the Bucks, veteran forward Jae Crowder (groin) and reserve wings MarJon Beauchamp (ankle) and Chris Livingston (ankle) are listed as out.

Meanwhile, the Wizards will be without veteran guard Delon Wright (knee). Reserve guard Johnny Davis (elbow) is also listed as questionable.

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Milwaukee Bucks vs Washington Wizards: Predicted lineups

The Bucks’ starting five features superstar point guard Damian Lillard and sharpshooter Malik Beasley in the backcourt. Star wing Khris Middleton, superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and rim-protecting veteran center Brook Lopez round out their frontcourt.

For the Wizards, their backcourt features playmaker Tyus Jones and score-first guard Jordan Poole. Their frontcourt consists of offensive-minded forwards Deni Avdija and Kyle Kuzma and shot-blocking center Daniel Gafford.

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Milwaukee Bucks vs Washington Wizards: Betting tips

Entering Monday’s matchup, Jordan Poole has an over/under points prop of 15.5. The Bucks lack reliable guard and wing defenders, but Poole has been struggling mightily recently.

Poole has scored 15 or fewer points in five of his last six games, including a season-low eight points on Friday against the Knicks. So, it makes sense to bet the under until he gets back on track.

Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo has an over/under points prop of 29.5. He has scored 35+ points in four of his last five games and is coming off a 40-point game on Saturday against the Mavericks.

The Wizards are also 25th in team defensive rating (118.2) and don’t have many big bodies who can match up with Antetokounmpo.

So, the over should be a safe bet, especially if Washington stays within striking distance. However, an early blowout could lead the Bucks to rest their starters during the fourth quarter.

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Milwaukee Bucks vs Washington Wizards: Prediction

Considering the talent disparity between both teams, Milwaukee should beat Washington rather handily.

The Bucks have the two best players in the matchup (Antetokounmpo and Lillard) as well as the more reliable role players. So, they should have a very good chance of covering the spread (-9.5).

Given both teams’ poor defenses, they could also threaten to surpass their massive over/under combined points total of 244.5.

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