Bucks Odds Favorable on Winning NBA Finals
By
May 1, 2020
Another year, another improved winning percentage. Even if the NBA concludes the regular season, the Milwaukee Bucks were even more dominant than the year prior. For the fourth-consecutive season, they’ve gotten better. One of the most talented players in the NBA is due credit, and so is a weaker Eastern Conference. Sportsbooks seem to agree as their NBA odds value is on the rise as well.
The Bucks were cut short of their NBA Finals quest when the Toronto Raptors took four in a row from them in the Eastern Conference Finals. Of course, that was after Milwaukee was up 2-0. That hurts. It was the first time that this Bucks group tasted success. Prior to the 2019 playoffs, Milwaukee had been knocked out in the first round the previous two years. This is something to build on.
At 53-12, the Bucks are practically a lock to finish with the number-one seed in the East. The NBA could implement a brief tournament to determine the bottom seeds, but Milwaukee should move ahead with home-court advantage throughout the playoffs (three-game lead on the Los Angeles Lakers). According to sportsbooks, the Bucks are the consensus favorite to win the 2020 NBA Championship. Is it their time? It’s a controversial matter.
How Will Rust Factor In?
Do you know which team feels most equipped to withstand a strange interruption to the season? The Bucks. Why? These guys have been around the block together. Eric Bledsoe (third season), Brook Lopez (second season), and Khris Middleton (all seven seasons) have been beside Giannis Antetokounmpo for a decent amount of time. The team shouldn’t be worried about chemistry issues when the league starts back up. This is a great advantage if the playoffs were to suddenly start with little notice.
(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
This is a time that could prove to be troublesome for newly constructed teams. Yes, this absolutely matters in sports. The Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, and Brooklyn Nets all underwent a major change in the offseason. The Indiana Pacers are still working Victor Oladipo back into the mix, only having 13 games under his belt since returning from a ruptured quad tendon. This is incredibly significant considering the Bucks will need to get through three of these teams to get to the Finals.
Moving on to the Western Conference and it’s the same song and dance. The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers are newly constructed. The Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder have swapped stars. Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis are in their first season together with the Dallas Mavericks. Sorry to beat a dead horse, but this really matters!
Are They Really That Good?
NBA Odds at around +250, should you put your cold, hard cash on the Bucks to finish the job? What about a much smaller return on winning the Eastern Conference Finals as an NBA pick?
The Bucks are a large bunch. They lead the NBA in defensive rating and it’s really not close. Milwaukee’s net rating of 10.7 (the difference between points for and against) leads the league by a wide margin. The Lakers have the next closest net rating at 7.1. A whopping 3.6 points is the difference between the top two teams in the NBA in this category. For context, just 1.3 net rating points separate the next five teams.
Rebounding is a massive strength of Milwaukee. They’re leading the NBA with a 52.4 percent rebound rate. They also rip down 77.6 percent of their opponent’s missed shots, leading the league. This leaves opposing teams with less opportunity for second chance points (11.1 per game, tied for league-best). These are all statistics that really matter in the playoffs.
Another interesting stat is Milwaukee’s effective field goal rate that stands at 55.3 percent. This also leads the NBA. This may surprise some, but Antetokounmpo’s dominance regularly creates open looks for his teammates. If a double team doesn’t come, then the Greek Freak finishes in the paint with ease. They’re so well-balanced that Antetokounmpo, Middleton, and Bledsoe lead the league in plus/minus. This was a fairly common trend for the Golden State Warriors over the years.
Milwaukee Bucks as part of your NBA Picks is a solid move.
When we break down all the facets of the numbers, it doesn’t look good for the rest of the league. Even though the payday isn’t huge, you should still feel comfortable betting on the Milwaukee Bucks as an NBA pick to win a championship in 2020. They feel like a virtual lock to take down the East now that Kawhi Leonard has moved on from the Raptors.
With Antetokounmpo having an MVP season, there’s nothing that suggests the Bucks will be stopped. The Greek Freak’s career-high 29.6 points and 13.7 boards would suggest he’s hungrier than ever. It doesn’t hurt that his right-hand man, Middleton, is posting a career-high 21.1 points per game as well. This is a bummer if you’re hoping for Giannis to lose and leave the Bucks for your personal team.
At +250 odds, you should jump on board! The Bucks have the chemistry, a balanced squad, and now the experience to make this happen. They’re easily best suited to take off after a long layoff. The East should be a cakewalk, so even if you think they’re a coin flip against one of the Los Angeles squads, you should go for it.