3rd Quarter Report
Only one more quarter stands between the Bucks and the victory they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead the Raptors 117-99.
If the Bucks keep playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 23-17 in no time. On the other hand, the Raptors will have to make due with a 10-32 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who’s Playing
Toronto Raptors @ Milwaukee Bucks
Current Records: Toronto 10-31, Milwaukee 22-17
How To Watch
- When: Friday, January 17, 2025 at 8 p.m. ET
- Where: Fiserv Forum — Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- TV: FanDuel SN – Wisconsin
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $7.22
What to Know
The Bucks will be playing the full four quarters on Friday, but they’re expected to have things wrapped up well before that. They will play host again on Friday to welcome the Toronto Raptors, where tip off is scheduled at 8:00 p.m. ET at Fiserv Forum. The Bucks might want some stickum for this one as the team gave up 21 turnovers on Wednesday.
The Bucks are headed into the matchup after thoroughly thrashing the Magic: they outscored them in every quarter. The Bucks put the hurt on the Magic with a sharp 122-93 win. The match marked Milwaukee’s most dominant victory of the season so far.
Damian Lillard was his usual excellent self, going 13 for 19 en route to 30 points plus five rebounds and four steals. What’s more, he also posted a 68.4% field goal percentage, which is the highest he’s posted since back in February of 2024.
Even though they won, the Bucks struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only three offensive rebounds. That’s the fewest offensive rebounds they’ve posted since back in December of 2024.
Meanwhile, the Raptors had to suffer through a five-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They came out on top against the Celtics by a score of 110-97 on Wednesday. Toronto’s win was a heroic effort that saw the team overcome a 13.5 point disadvantage in the spread.
The Raptors got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was RJ Barrett out in front who dropped a double-double on 22 points and ten rebounds. Barrett’s performance made up for a slower contest against the Pistons on Saturday. Jakob Poeltl was another key player, dropping a double-double on 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Milwaukee is on a roll lately: they’ve won five of their last six games, which provided a massive bump to their 22-17 record this season. As for Toronto, their win bumped their record up to 10-31.
Keep an eye on the arc in Friday’s matchup: The Bucks have been dynamite from deep this season, having nailed 38.7% of their threes per game. It’s a different story for the Raptors, though, as they’ve only made 34.7% of their threes this season. Given the Bucks’ sizable advantage in that area, the Raptors will need to find a way to close that gap.
The Bucks took their victory against the Raptors in their previous matchup last Monday by a conclusive 128-104. In that match, the Bucks amassed a halftime lead of 66-47, an impressive feat they’ll look to repeat on Friday.
Odds
Milwaukee is a big 11-point favorite against Toronto, 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 11.5-point favorite.
The over/under is 230 points.
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Series History
Milwaukee has won 6 out of their last 10 games against Toronto.
- Jan 06, 2025 – Milwaukee 128 vs. Toronto 104
- Nov 12, 2024 – Milwaukee 99 vs. Toronto 85
- Apr 05, 2024 – Toronto 117 vs. Milwaukee 111
- Nov 15, 2023 – Milwaukee 128 vs. Toronto 112
- Nov 01, 2023 – Toronto 130 vs. Milwaukee 111
- Apr 09, 2023 – Toronto 121 vs. Milwaukee 105
- Mar 19, 2023 – Milwaukee 118 vs. Toronto 111
- Jan 17, 2023 – Milwaukee 130 vs. Toronto 122
- Jan 04, 2023 – Milwaukee 104 vs. Toronto 101
- Jan 15, 2022 – Toronto 103 vs. Milwaukee 96
