We’ve got another exciting Eastern Conference contest on Friday’s NBA schedule as the Atlanta Hawks will host the Milwaukee Bucks. Atlanta is 23-28 overall and 11-12 at home, while Milwaukee is 27-22 overall and 10-14 on the road. The two teams split their first two matchups this season, both coming in Milwaukee, and the Bucks have won three of their last five meetings over the past two seasons. Damian Lillard (groin) is probable and Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) is questionable for the Bucks. Trae Young (Achilles) is probable for the Hawks.
Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta. The Bucks are 5.5-point favorites in the latest Hawks vs. Bucks odds, according to the SportsLine consensus. The over/under is 242.5 points. Before entering any Bucks vs. Hawks picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past six-plus seasons. The model enters Week 16 of the 2024-25 NBA season on a sizzling 144-102 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning almost $4,000. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Milwaukee vs. Atlanta. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Hawks vs. Bucks:
- Bucks vs. Hawks spread: Bucks -5.5
- Bucks vs. Hawks over/under: 242.5 points
- Bucks vs. Hawks money line: Bucks: -228, Hawks: +190
- MIL: The Over is 10-4 over the last 14 Bucks games
- ATL: The Hawks are 5-1 against the spread (ATS) over their last six games
- Bucks vs. Hawks picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Bucks vs. Hawks streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Bucks can cover
The Bucks snapped a four-game losing streak with a 112-102 victory over the Hornets on Wednesday. Lillard had 29 points and 12 assists as Antetokounmpo missed his second straight game. Bobby Portis played a key role with 23 points, 17 rebounds and five assists as Milwaukee played its first game since trading three-time All-Star Khris Middleton to acquire Kyle Kuzma. The 27-year-old forward could be set to make his Bucks debut on Friday after averaging a career-high 22.2 ppg last season with the Wizards.
The eight-year veteran could provide a lift for a Bucks offense that has fallen to 12th in the league in scoring (113.9 ppg) after ranking third last year at 118.4 ppg. Antetokounmpo is second in the league in scoring (31.8 ppg), and the Bucks can be a difficult team to slow down if Antetokounmpo, Lillard and Kuzma are all healthy and active on Friday, especially for a Hawks defense allowing the third-most ppg (119.2). Atlanta has also lost nine of its last 10 games. See which team to pick here.
Why the Hawks can cover
Although the Hawks have struggled to record victories lately, three of their last four losses have come by five points or fewer, and they have a 132-130 victory over the Pistons during that span. The Hawks defeated the Pistons on Monday behind Young’s 34 points and nine assists. Young shot 4 of 8 on 3-pointers and after Atlanta traded De’Andre Hunter to the Cavaliers, he may need to create even more offense on Friday. The Hawks acquired Caris LeVert and Georges Niang, and they are questionable to debut on Friday.
Atlanta nearly knocked off the Spurs as 4.5-point underdogs in a 126-125 loss on Wednesday. Young had 32 points and 12 assists, with 6-foot-10 power forward Onyeka Okongwu adding 30 points and 12 rebounds. Okongwu will take on a larger role without Hunter, and he’s scored at least 12 points in four straight games. Guard Dyson Daniels has scored at least 19 points in three straight games as well and leads the NBA with 3.0 steals per game. See which team to pick here.
How to make Bucks vs. Hawks picks
The model has simulated Hawks vs. Bucks 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, projecting 229 combined points, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Bucks vs. Hawks, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Hawks vs. Bucks spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 144-102 roll on top-rated NBA picks since last season, and find out.
