NBA 2021/22 on Thursday, 12/23/2021
The Milwaukee Bucks against the Houston Rockets? That already happened a fortnight ago, didn’t it? And yes, even though the defending champions came out on top then, things look pretty bleak for them in the rematch this time around.
Because the Omikron variant is currently raging across the NBA and has hardly weakened any franchise as much as that of the Green and Whites. In my Bucks Rockets tip, by the way, we’ll go into a little more detail about their many blowouts for Thursday…
The most hated word of the year by basketball fans has to be “COVID-19-Protocols”. This refers to the segregation of players that has become more and more rampant in these tumultuous weeks.
The Bucks have been hit particularly hard. Nevertheless, they were able to win a game against the Pacers last Thursday, even though seven key players were missing. However, with so many absences, this simply cannot go well in the long run.
The severely depleted Milwaukee squad then suffered a defeat at the hands of the Pelicans, which was followed by another tough 90-119 loss to the Cavaliers – where, incidentally, only eight Bucks players were allowed to take part this time.
The Bucks’ current starting five is not even worthy of a second suit. DeMarcus Cousins had by far his longest appearance of the season against the Cavs and usually only gets about ten minutes of playing time as Giannis Antetokounmpo’s replacement.
The aforementioned defeat against the Pelicans is indicative of the acute personnel shortages on the side of the defending champions, from which the Houston Rockets could now also benefit.
Especially since the loss of Giannis Antetokounmpo could have cleared a big obstacle on the way to victory. For the Greek averaged 22.5 points, 10.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists in his career in a total of 17 games against the Texans.
To understand how much the Corona virus is limiting the Bucks’ playing possibilities at the moment, the following comparison suffices: In the loss to the Cavs, there was not a single player in the starting five who still won the NBA title against the Suns last year.
Of course, the Rockets are not a team that is particularly successful. Last year, the Texans even set a negative record for the most consecutive losses (15) and this year, too, a shadowy existence in the bottom of the league seems inevitable.
Houston has only won three of its seventeen away games so far. No franchise has gone down the tubes more often away from home – but they still have a very real chance of winning
The last time the Rockets and the Bucks faced each other was on 11 December! And although the defending champions ended up narrowly ahead 123-114, the upcoming rematch will be much tougher to win.
After all, the Omikron variant has completely turned the Green-Whites upside down in the space of just two weeks. In the rematch, compared to the last direct duel, the then still lively superstars Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetkoumpo will be out.
The formidable duo combined for 62 points in the win about a fortnight ago, more than half of the team’s total. Without them involved, the Rockets will be much more likely to flourish on Thursday.
The bookmakers seem to have registered the many absences of the home side as well. While the Bucks remain the clear favourites to win according to them, the associated odds are currently 1.20.
For a Texan win, on the other hand, various providers are offering an approximate fivefold increase in the betting stakes.
Incidentally, of the last four head-to-head clashes, both sides have claimed two victories each.
Conclusion: The Rockets are the weakest away team in the NBA and normally I wouldn’t bet money on them – especially when it comes to the Bucks. But they are now severely weakened.
A fortnight ago, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton were able to put the Texans in their place, but they have now been joined by five other key players who have had to stay away from the Green and Whites.
Significantly, the most recent defeat came against the match-weak Pelicans. In the following defeat against the Cavs, only eight Buck players were allowed to play.
With such a weakened team, I actually expect the Texans to take revenge in my Bucks Rockets tip
