Brooklyn Nets vs. Milwaukee Bucks Pick 4/6/19

Brooklyn Nets (39-40, 42-37 ATS) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (59-20 SU, 47-28-4 ATS)
When: Saturday, April 6th, 2019 – 5:00 p.m. ET
Where: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
TV: NBATV

Point Spread: BKN+8.5 / MIL-8.5 (Bookmaker)
Total: O/U

Last Time Out: Brooklyn lost to Toronto 115-105; Milwaukee beat Philadelphia 128-122

Last Time On The NBA:

If you missed my last pick, I took the Celtics to pound the Pacers and lo and behold that is exactly what happened. I am now 3-1 in the month of April and will be looking to continue this streak.

Elsewhere in the NBA the Orlando Magic recently dismantled the Hawks to move up into the 6-seed spot, and both the Pistons and this Nets team have fallen close to out of the playoff picture entirely. Now with their backs to the wall and Miami hot on their heels, we can only wonder if the Nets will have enough left in the tank to finish this season strong. Meanwhile, the Bucks are looking pretty after their clash with the 76ers and have clinched the best record in all the land. Hold on… Are the warriors not the best team? Well, either way, the Bucks have had a fantastic season, but we have seen 1-seeds in the East (my Atlanta Hawks back in 2014-2015 season) get blasted in the playoffs, so only time will tell if the Bucks can live up to their hype.

Now as for this game, the Bucks last played on April 4th, meaning they have only one day to rest up for this game. The Nets, however, last played on April 3rd and have had two days of rest. Trends show that the Bucks are 38-10 straight up when getting one day off and the Nets are 7-6 after having two days to travel and rest. Given that this game means so much more to the Nets, my initial lean is for them to play a competitive game against the Bucks and cover.

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Brooklyn 99:

The Brooklyn Nets have had a rollercoaster of a season, hence the subtitle referring to a TV show. Just like in a TV series, there have been highs, and there have been lows. Right now, the Nets are in a low, losing their last two in a row and 7 of their last 10. Really this downfall started after the All-Star Break. The Nets are 9-11 since the break, and that is why they find themselves in a deep hole with just 3 games remaining.

Despite the struggles, D’Angelo Russell has been absolutely on fire. Just in the last five games, Russell is averaging 27.2 points per game. Problem is, the Nets are 1-4 in these games. So, while Russell is doing his best to backpack his team, their supporting players are not stepping to the plate.

Let’s just look at the most recent game to prove this point. Against the Raptors, Russell obviously was best with 27 points. After this, we have Spencer Dinwiddie coming off the bench with 14. That is it. A couple other guys broke into double-digits, but this is the NBA, the Nets need a guy to back up Russell and provide at the very least 18 to 20 points a night. Especially heading into what may be the biggest game of their season. If they do not win, their playoffs chances will decrease even more. So, for the Nets the bench will be the reason why or why not they make it to the postseason.

Chobani Greek Yogurt:

Just like Chobani Yogurt, Giannis’ game has been fresh all season long. He, of course, is posting MVP type numbers (27.7 PPG, 12.5 RPG) and if I had a say, the MVP race would be over, and Giannis would have already been given the award. Sorry James Harden, but when you shoot the ball an average of 24.5 times a game, of course, you are going to score a ridiculous amount of points. Okay, enough of that rant and let’s get back to the Bucks. As stated before, the Bucks are undoubtedly the best team in the NBA. Post-All-Star Break they have gone 16-6, which is why they have clinched the best record in the league so easily.

This leads me to my next point which is, “Should the Bucks actually care about the last few games?” They have home court locked down already, making me believe they will just shut it down for the next few games. Especially with Giannis, if he were to get hurt in game 80, 81, or 82, it would basically end the Bucks chances for a championship. Maybe they still will play him just to keep him fresh, but this is something to keep in mind when deciding whether to lay the points or not.

Best Bet:

The Bucks have dominated the Nets, going 3-0 against them this season. In those three games, the Bucks have won by an average of 14.3 points per game. If you want to go further back, the Bucks have won 9 out of the last 10 games against the Nets and are just a step above them in every way. However, I just keep thinking the Bucks will have no reason to play their best guys, which will allow the Nets to play their best basketball. With that said, my final verdict for this game is the Brooklyn Nets cover the spread and move one step closer to clinching a spot in the postseason.