Bucks vs. Cavaliers Prediction and Odds for December 20: Can the Bucks Stay Hot After NBA Cup Triumph

The Milwaukee Bucks (14-11) will return to action following their In-Season Tournament championship against the league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers (23-4) on Friday night.

The Bucks went 13-3 following a 2-8 start to the year and took down the Oklahoma City Thunder 97-81 on Tuesday to win the NBA Cup. The past few weeks have been a rare time of optimism during Doc Rivers’ tenure in Milwaukee and suggest that the 2021 NBA champs could be contenders once again.

The Cavs have gone about their business as quietly and effectively as a 23-4 team can. They won their last game, against the Brooklyn Nets, by 29 points, and already beat the Bucks twice on Nov. 2 and 4, though they only came by a combined total of three points.

Here, we will share our favorite Bucks vs. Cavaliers betting picks for Friday.

Bucks vs. Cavaliers Betting Odds for Friday, December 20

The Bucks are 11-14-1 (44 percent) against the spread, 5-6 (45.5 percent) ATS on the road, and 4-3 (57.1 percent) ATS as an underdog.

The Cavs are a league-best 19-8 (70.4 percent) ATS, 11-4 (73.3 percent) ATS at home, and 16-8 (66.7 percent) ATS as a favorite.

Odds for the Bucks vs. Cavaliers game are courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Head over to BetMGM to place your bets and claim up to $1,500 in bonus bets* with our promo code WSNSPORTS.

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Bucks vs. Cavaliers Prediction

Milwaukee Bucks Preview

There are two sides to the Bucks’ story—the one from the beginning of the season, and the one over the last few weeks.

The early version of the Bucks looked disjointed, disconnected, old and slow. They couldn’t get on the same page defensively and didn’t get the ball to the right spots either through ball movement or getting their players into comfortable scoring positions.

The Bucks of the last few weeks, however, are playing with great energy and enthusiasm, and their execution improved significantly. They ranked seventh in both offensive and defensive rating over the last 15 games, allowing them to outscore their opponents by an average of 5.7 points per 100 possessions (ninth).

Andre Jackson Jr.’s role in the starting lineup provided them with the point-of-attack defender they desperately needed, while A.J. Green has been a flamethrower off of the bench. The star tandem of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard also flourished lately, and the two averaged a combined 58.4 points, 16 rebounds, and 13.6 assists for the season overall.

Milwaukee as a whole is up to third in the league in three-point efficiency with a standard of 39 percent from beyond the arc. They also rank 11th in three-point defense at 35.5 percent and forced the Thunder to go 5-32 (15.6 percent) from three in the NBA Cup Championship Game.

Despite those positive signs, the Bucks are still just 4-7 on the road. This is also a great time for Doc Rivers to demonstrate his control of the locker room, as the Bucks have to shrug off the emotion of their In-Season Tournament win to battle what has been the best team in basketball thus far.

Cleveland Cavaliers Preview

Everything the Cavaliers do, they do it together. They move the ball, they run, they rebound, they defend, and they come in waves. That’s the easiest way to describe Cleveland’s record-setting start to the campaign. 

The Cavs dominated a variety of metrics, namely offensive rating, in which they led the league. They’re also ninth in defensive rating and are one of two teams with a net rating above 10 points (+10.3 - second).

Cleveland’s frontcourt size gives them the opportunity to match up with the Bucks in ways that most opponents can’t. They can be better on the glass, but that obviously hasn’t impacted their bottom line up to this point.

Another reason the Cavs have been successful is their care for the ball. They turned the ball over at the fourth-lowest frequency and are third in points off of turnovers, which means they’ve done a great job creating margins within their games.

Cleveland’s one sore spot has been its three-point defense, but that’s been more than made up for by their exceptional marksmanship from deep. They lead the league in three-point percentage (39.9) and shot 42.7 percent from deep in their previous matchups with the Bucks.

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Bucks vs. Cavaliers Betting Pick

• Bucks vs. Cavaliers pick: Bucks +9.5 (-115) at BetMGM

As we mentioned, it’s time for the Bucks to really prove themselves. They are playing well and are full of confidence, but they now have to face the team in power and a team that already beat them twice.

Cleveland’s best player, Donovan Mitchell, hasn’t been bad as of late, but he also hasn’t played like a superstar. He’ll need to elevate his game against the Bucks with the way that Giannis and Dame are playing.

We predicted a Bucks upset in the NBA Cup Championship Game, and we’re doing the same here. The Bucks are hot, confident, and playing well in every way, and they should have the two best players in the matchup.

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How to Watch Bucks vs. Cavaliers on 12/20/24

• When: Friday, Dec. 20 @ 7:30 p.m. ET

• Where: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse

• TV: NBA TV

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