New York Knicks vs Milwaukee Bucks Predictions, Picks & Player Props

Dec 25, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) drives to the basket against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) and guard Josh Hart (3) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY SportsThe New York Knicks visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday nightThe Knicks only trail the Bucks by two games for the #2 seed in the Eastern ConferenceSee the New York Knicks vs Milwaukee Bucks predictions, odds, and player props for Sunday, April 7

The battle for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference continues tonight when the New York Knicks (45-32, 20-18 away, 40-34-3 ATS) visit the Milwaukee Bucks (47-30, 29-10 home, 33-43-1 ATS) at Fiserv Forum at 6:10 pm CT/7:10 pm ET.

With Giannis Antetokounmpo listed as questionable, the Bucks are modest 4.5-point home favorites against a Knicks squad that’s still without Julius Randle.

New York Knicks vs Milwaukee Bucks Odds

Sunday’s NBA odds also list Milwaukee at -175 on the moneyline with New York a +145 road underdog to win straight-up. The game total is sitting at 218.5.

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Odds as of April 7 at ESPN Bet. Get a promo code for ESPN Bet to wager on Knicks vs Bucks.

The Knicks currently hold the East #5 seed in the NBA playoff bracket, but are only two games back of Milwaukee for the #2 seed. If the postseason started today, New York would face the #4 Orlando Magic in a best-of-seven series in the first round, while Milwaukee would meet the winner of the 7-vs-8 Play-In Game between Philadelphia and Miami.

Knicks Drop Four of Five

New York looked destined to at least have home-court advantage in the first round until a(n ongoing) slump saw the team lose four of its past five. Most recently, the Knicks fell 108-100 in Chicago to the Bulls, the team’s third straight setback on the road. Jalen Brunson () had 35 of the team’s points on 13-of-28 shooting, but the Knicks as a team were just 36-of-83 from the floor (43.6%).

New York was massacred on the glass (57-38) and gave up 19 offensive rebounds to the Bulls, which was wildly out of character for a Knicks team that sits first in the NBA in rebound percentage (52.7%).

Despite the recent struggles, the Knicks remain fifth in the league in Net Rating (+4.8), tenth on offense and eighth on defense.

Julius Randle (24.0 PPG, 9.2 RPG), who hasn’t played since Jan. 27, underwent season-ending shoulder surgery last week. Bojan Bogdanovic (15.7 PPG) is questionable for the Bucks game with a wrist injury. He had nine points in 20 minutes off the bench in the loss to Chicago on Friday.

2024 NBA Playoff Bracket: Seedings, Matchups and ScheduleRead More

Bucks Lose Three in a Row

For just the second time all season, Milwaukee is riding a three-game losing streak. But these weren’t just any losses. The Bucks have dropped three straight to the 15-63 Washington Wizards (117-113 away), the 27-51 Memphis Grizzlies (111-101 home), and the 24-53 Toronto Raptors (117-111 home), who had lost 15 in a row prior to beating Milwaukee as 14.5-point underdogs.

The (somewhat) good news for Bucks fans is that Giannis missed last game due to a hamstring injury. The potentially bad news is that his status for Sunday night is still in question.

Despite sitting second in the East still, the Bucks are just ninth in the NBA in Net Rating and tied for eighth in point differential (+3.1). Despite having some of the best individual defenders in the league (Giannis, Brook Lopez, Patrick Beverley), Milwaukee’s team defense continues to be a millstone.

NYK vs MIL Player Props

NYK vs MIL player props from DraftKings on April 7. Claim a DraftKings promo code for new users to bet on today’s NBA player props.

In light of the fact that Giannis’ presence/absence will dictate his teammates’ usage, the two-time MVP is the only Milwaukee player on the board in today’s Knicks vs Bucks player props. Brunsion is listed with the highest point total of the night at 30.5 while Giannis is just behind him at 28.5. Antetokounmpo also has the highest rebound total of the night at 11.5.

Knicks vs Bucks Prediction

There is ample reason to be pessimistic about both of these teams heading into Sunday night’s game, but I’m more concerned about the Bucks. Milwaukee’s three-game skid came against some of the worst teams in the association, and now they’re being asked to cover a 4.5-point spread against a top-ten defense that plays at the slowest pace in the league and grabs the highest percentage of rebounds.

NYK vs MIL picks:

Knicks +4.5 (-110)Antetokounmpo under 28.5 points (-110)

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Sascha Paruk’s 2023-24 NBA betting record:

18-24 moneyline (+3.06 units)23-19-2 ATS (+3.90 units)0-1 over/under (-1.00 units)8-15 player props (-8.08 units)0-3 same-game parlay (-3.00 units)