Hard times have fallen on the Milwaukee Bucks, who dropped four straight during a road trip and have now fallen into the third seed in the Eastern Conference. However, they are finally back home tonight and will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves looking to bounce back.
The Timberwolves have also lost four straight, including the first three games of their current four-game road trip, which ends tonight. This season has been disappointing for Minnesota thus far, as they sit outside the playoff picture completely despite expectations of being title contenders this season.
One of these teams has to snap their skid tonight, so let's see who is better poised to successfully do so.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Milwaukee Bucks Match Details
Fixture: Minnesota Timberwolves @ Milwaukee Bucks
Date and Time: Friday, December 30, 8:00 p.m. EDT
Venue: Fiserv Forum
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Milwaukee Bucks Injury Report
Both teams will be missing some key players tonight.
Minnesota has already ruled out Jordan McLaughlin, Taurean Prince, and Karl Anthony-Towns, while Kyle Anderson is questionable.
For the Bucks, they won't have Jrue Holiday or Khris Middleton, while George Hill is also doubtful to suit up tonight.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Milwaukee Bucks Betting Odds
Odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Milwaukee Bucks Starting 5s
Minnesota - PG: D'Angelo Russell, SG: Austin Rivers, SF: Anthony Edwards, PF: Jaden McDaniels, C: Rudy Gobert
Milwaukee - PG: Jevon Carter, SG: Grayson Allen, SF: Pat Connaughton, PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo, C: Brook Lopez
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Milwaukee Bucks Prediction
While both teams are struggling right now, Milwaukee's struggles can easily be attributed to playing on the road against tough competition. They're 8-9 on the road this season, compared to 14-3 at home. Their point differential at home is +170, meaning their average home game is a 10-point victory.
While Minnesota is also worse on the road this season, they haven't played well regardless of location. The Bucks are better than them defensively and about the same offensively this season. Milwaukee also won the first matchup by 13 points, without Khris Middleton.
I'm going to trust the best player on the floor, Giannis, and the home crowd to carry the better team to a decisive victory tonight.
Prediction: Milwaukee Bucks -6.5 (-105)
Timberwolves Nation! You can check out the latest Minnesota Timberwolves Schedule and dive into the Timberwolves Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.