Milwaukee Bucks vs. Miami Heat Preview and Prediction (1/15/23)
Line: Heat -1, Bucks +1
Total: 219.5
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Miami Heat Betting Odds Breakdown
The Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat will be meeting up for the second time in a row on Saturday.
Miami is coming into this game as the favorite at -1, and the over/under is sitting at 219.5 points.
Milwaukee Bucks Preview
Milwaukee dropped their last game to Miami, and they will be looking to redeem themselves here.
Milwaukee’s biggest advantage going into this game is the fact that they have a player like Giannis Antetokounmpo, assuming he plays after he did not play in their last game. Giannis will probably end up being in the MVP conversation by the end of the year, and he deserves it. He’s averaging just over 30 points per game this season, along with about 12 rebounds per game as well. Miami’s defense is going to have their hands full with him, and it’s definitely possible that Miami won’t be able to contain him.
Milwaukee’s defense is simply just one of the best in the league. They rank third in the whole league for defensive efficiency, and the Miami Heat aren’t a great offensive team. In fact, Miami has taken a drop off this season in most aspects of their game, and it’s completely possible that they don’t make a full recovery after falling off a little bit.
Miami Heat Preview
Miami was able to get the win over Milwaukee their last time out, and they will be trying to do it again.
This season, Miami just isn’t the same team that they were last year. They were first in the eastern conference last year, and they are nowhere near as good as they were last year. Their offensive efficiency has dropped off from last year, with them now sitting at 24th in the league in offensive efficiency. But in this game, their defense will have to step up in a big way, which won’t be easy.
Miami’s defensive efficiency is a little bit worse this season, but it’s still very solid with them sitting at sixth in the league in defensive efficiency. Going into this game, they just need to find a way to slow down Giannis if he ends up playing. Giannis is such a difficult player to guard with how big and fast he is, and it feels like almost no one in the league is effective when they guard him. But, if they can keep him under control, which is very unlikely, Miami could get a win over Milwaukee.
Winner Prediction: Milwaukee Bucks +1
Going into this game, it just seems like the Milwaukee Bucks are better than the Miami Heat. If Giannis Antetokounmpo is able to play in this game, then the Bucks should be able to get the win over the Miami Heat.
