Through 3 Quarters
The Milwaukee Bucks were expected to win this one, and they are just one quarter away from fulfilling that expectation. They have unwrapped a big 97-76 lead against the Houston Rockets after three quarters.
Small forward Khris Middleton (21 points) and point guard Jrue Holiday (19 points) have been the top scorers for Milwaukee. One thing to keep an eye out for is Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s foul situation as he currently sits at five.
Houston has enjoyed the tag-team combination of power forward Christian Wood and shooting guard Eric Gordon. The former has 20 points in addition to nine boards, while the latter has 12 points and six assists.
The Rockets have lost 90% of their games in which they were down going into the fourth quarter. Barring a miraculous turnaround, this game will end the same way.
Who’s Playing
Houston @ Milwaukee
Current Records: Houston 10-21; Milwaukee 19-13
What to Know
The Milwaukee Bucks will take on the Houston Rockets at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday at Fiserv Forum after having had a few days off. Given that both teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.
Milwaukee has to be hurting after a devastating 119-90 defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday. The Bucks were down 93-69 at the end of the third quarter, which was just too much to recover from. Point guard Javonte Smart just could not get things rolling his way, finishing with only four points on 2-for-14 shooting in his 44 minutes on the court.
Meanwhile, Houston received a tough blow on Monday as they fell 133-118 to the Chicago Bulls. Houston’s loss came about despite a quality game from power forward Christian Wood, who dropped a double-double on 23 points and 11 rebounds.
Milwaukee is the favorite in this one, with an expected 8.5-point margin of victory. Their home court has been no bettor’s paradise, though, as they’ve failed to beat the spread in ten of their 15 home games.
Milwaukee is now 19-13 while Houston sits at 10-21. A couple numbers to keep in mind before tip-off: The Bucks come into the game boasting the third fewest fouls per game in the league at 17.3. But the Rockets rank first in the league when it comes to fouls drawn per game, with 22.5 on average. The ref’s whistle might dictate the flow of action in this one.
How To Watch
When: Wednesday at 8 p.m. ETWhere: Fiserv Forum — Milwaukee, WisconsinTV: ATTSN SouthwestOnline streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)Follow: CBS Sports AppTicket Cost: $31.00
Odds
The Bucks are a big 8.5-point favorite against the Rockets, according to the latest NBA odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Bucks as a 9.5-point favorite.
Over/Under: -112
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Series History
Milwaukee have won seven out of their last 13 games against Houston.
Dec 10, 2021 – Milwaukee 123 vs. Houston 114May 07, 2021 – Milwaukee 141 vs. Houston 133Apr 29, 2021 – Houston 143 vs. Milwaukee 136Aug 02, 2020 – Houston 120 vs. Milwaukee 116Oct 24, 2019 – Milwaukee 117 vs. Houston 111Mar 26, 2019 – Milwaukee 108 vs. Houston 94Jan 09, 2019 – Milwaukee 116 vs. Houston 109Mar 07, 2018 – Houston 110 vs. Milwaukee 99Dec 16, 2017 – Houston 115 vs. Milwaukee 111Jan 23, 2017 – Milwaukee 127 vs. Houston 114Jan 18, 2017 – Houston 111 vs. Milwaukee 92Feb 29, 2016 – Milwaukee 128 vs. Houston 121Jan 22, 2016 – Houston 102 vs. Milwaukee 98
Injury Report for Milwaukee
Bobby Portis: Out (Covid-19)Donte DiVincenzo: Out (Covid-19)Giannis Antetokounmpo: Out (Covid-19)Brook Lopez: Out (Back)
Injury Report for Houston
Christian Wood: Game-Time Decision (Knee)Jalen Green: Out (Hamstring)Kevin Porter: Out (Thigh)John Wall: Out (Not Injury Related)
