NBA 2022/23, on Tuesday, 20/12/2022
New Orleans Pelicans fans must be thankful to the basketball gods that their boys get to play at home again after an unsuccessful away series at the Smoothie King Center. Tonight’s travelled opponent is none other than the Milwaukee Bucks.
But I won’t have too much respect for the guests in my Pelicans Bucks tip. Because apart from the fact that Milwaukee will be missing one or two superstars, they find it extremely difficult to crack strong defences like the South’s – especially away from home.
There must have been a violent announcement inside the Bucks’ locker room. Because after the epic 101-142 loss to the Grizzlies – who I personally think are the best team in the NBA right now – they managed to make a bit of a “statement”.
In the following game, the Jazz, without Giannis Antetokounmpo in the starting five, were successfully beaten 123-97. However, I rate this victory only as a small respectable success, no more and no less!
The reason for this is that Utah has been far too weak since the offseason to play a really great season – even if they still have a positive record at the moment. The Pelicans, on the other hand, are a strong squad across the board.
The Pelicans have now moved up to second place in the NBA’s weekly power rankings. So, on paper, only Boston is currently better league-wide in terms of play. That alone makes it clear why the Bucks have to improve compared to the game against the Jazz.
New Orleans has a first-class defence, the third-best in the league with a defensive rating of 108.4. Against them, the Green and Whites will not be able to walk through as easily as they did against Utah.
In addition, it is still completely unclear whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will play at all tonight. At first glance, there seems to be no reason why he shouldn’t play, but the superstar might need another game of rest to get back to 100%.
With Khris Middleton also resting against the Jazz, the worst case scenario would see two of the Green and White’s top 3 out. In my eyes, that would be far too much of a challenge to overcome against a franchise that is buck strong at home.
After all, the Pels will be trying to win their eighth straight home game. If we extend the period under consideration, the runners-up have lost only one of their last eleven NBA games at the Smoothie King Center – and that only against the outstanding Celtics.
This alone shows how high the bar is to beat New Orleans in their own stadium. Consequently, Milwaukee will not only have to be in full possession of its powers, but also be able to step it up a notch in order to actually have a chance to win the game.
Furthermore, the Bucks are not exactly known as the away scare of the NBA. Their record of 7-5 is at least positive, but should by no means unsettle Pelicans fans – whose favourites currently sit second in their conference.
There is a reason why I have deliberately highlighted the current standings. The Bucks have not won any of their seven away games on the floor of a team that is currently in the top four of one of the two conferences.
The last attempt to beat a franchise from this region away from home failed miserably – as already mentioned. For the defeat against the Grizzlies with a difference of over 40 points will reverberate for a long time.
In addition, the Pels’ knot simply has to break after their third consecutive loss of the season.
After all, up until last Sunday’s loss to the Suns, the worst they had recorded since the start of the season was two consecutive defeats. A fourth in a row – and then at home – would be too much of a good thing in my opinion.
Meanwhile, the fact that the Bwin App Download is one of the terms most often entered into the Google search line by basketball fans should come as no surprise to anyone. After all, the sports betting provider of the same name has one of the most extensive NBA betting offers.
Old and new bettors alike, meanwhile, are trading a Bucks win at odds of around 1.85 as marginally more likely than a Pels triumph. The latter is traded on the markets at slightly higher 1.95.
Conclusion: Of course, the Bucks bounced back impressively against Utah. However, the opponent was infinitely easier than the previous one or the one to come!
In fact, the Bucks have yet to beat a franchise currently in the top four of either conference away from home this season. On top of that, Middleton and/or Antetokounmpo could be out again tonight.
In my eyes, this would have fatal consequences for the game of the Green-Whites, who are dependent on every man to crack the Pels. The strong defensive work and the home advantage are good arguments for a home win bet.
My Pelicans Bucks tip : Pels win!
