Hawks vs. Bucks Predictions, Odds, Preview

• January 24, 2021
• By Jonathan Willis
• VegasInsider.com

Milwaukee hasn’t won a game in over a week. The Bucks’ last win came over the Dallas Mavericks back on January 15, and they will look to put a new number in the win column on Sunday night against the Atlanta Hawks.

Atlanta is having a nice start to the season with Trae Young leading the way. Young was second in the Eastern Conference in scoring (29.6 PPG) last season, just ahead of Giannis Antetokuonmpo.

Betting Resources

• Matchup: Eastern Conference
• Expert Picks: Vegas Insiders
• Venue: Fiserv Forum
• Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Date: Sunday, January 24, 2021
• Time: 8:05 p.m. ET
• TV: NBA League Pass
• Bet: BetMGM | BetRivers | FanDuel | PointsBet | All

Betting Odds - Hawks vs. Bucks

Line Movements

Subject to Change

• Spread: Milwaukee -8.5
• Money-Line: Bucks -375 Hawks +295
• Total: 231.5

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks look to bounce back from Thursday's loss to the Lakers. (AP)

Hawks-Bucks Current Form-Last Game

The Bucks were supposed to play Washington on Friday night, but that game was called off as the Wizards continue to be sidelined by COVID.

Milwaukee alternated losses and wins for its first five games of the season before kicking into gear and winning seven of its next eight games.

The Bucks largely beat lower-tier Eastern Conference foes during that stretch though, and they have since run into some issues. They fell to the Brooklyn Nets 125-123 on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and they lost at home to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.

LeBron James posted a season-high 34 points in a 113-106 Lakers win over the Bucks. Milwaukee hit better than 50 percent from the floor with Antetokuonmpo finishing the evening with 25 points and 12 rebounds, but It wasn’t enough as the Lakers knocked down a whopping 51.4 percent of their triples.

Atlanta got off to a nice start with three straight victories at the beginning of the season. The Hawks won each of those games by at least eight points, as Young had 102 points in those three wins.

However, they lost seven of their next nine games to fall to 5-7. Their offense failed to score against teams like Cleveland, New York, and Charlotte, throwing away some nice opportunities to pick up wins against lesser opponents.

They have been able to win their last three games though, beating Minnesota twice with Friday night being the most recent victory.

Young exploded for a season-high 43 points in Atlanta’s 116-98 win over Minnesota. He went 14 of 22 from the floor and 8 of 12 from beyond the arc in the game. Clint Capela recorded a rare triple-double with 13 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 blocks, and he pulled down seven offensive boards.

Hawks vs. Bucks Head-to-Head

• Dec. 27, 2019 - Bucks 112 at Hawks 86, Milwaukee -7, Under 235.5
• Nov. 27, 2019 - Bucks 111 vs. Hawks 102, Atlanta +14.5, Under 240
• Nov. 20, 2019 - Bucks 135 at Hawks 127, Atlanta +11, Over 233

(SU-Straight Up, ATS - Against the Spread, OU - Over-Under)

Hawks Betting Outlook

Inside the Stats (2020-2021)

• Overall: 8-7 SU, 8-7 ATS, 3-12 O/U

Young may miss his first game of the season on Sunday. He is coming off his best scoring effort of the year, but he was reportedly dealing with back spasms on Saturday.

His potential absence would be tough for Atlanta to overcome as he runs the offense and is averaging 25.3 PPG and 8.7 APG. Young is a high-volume shooter, but he makes his teammates better.

Atlanta’s second-leading scorer is considered questionable too due to a knee injury. De’Andre Hunter is averaging 16.3 PPG and 5.9 RPG while hitting 50.6 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from downtown.

The former Virginia standout is the team’s most efficient scorer that is at least averaging double digits in points, so if both Young and Hunter miss the game it will really impact the line.

Capela is averaging a double-double playing a similar role to where we saw him thrive in Houston. He is second in the league in rebounding with 14.5 RPG, and he is also putting up 14.2 PPG.

That has allowed John Collins to play better down low with less attention focused on him. Collins is making 52.8 percent of his field goals.

The Hawks do a great job punishing opponents at the free throw line. They are one of just seven teams making at least 80 percent of their freebies, and every rotation player aside from Capela is hitting at least 80 percent from the charity stripe.

Bucks Betting Outlook

Inside the Stats (2020-2021)

• Overall: 9-6 SU, 6-9 ATS, 8-7 O/U

Antetokuonmpo has won two straight NBA MVP awards. Milwaukee fans were afraid of losing him in free agency, but he alleviated a lot of fears when he signed a five-year supermax extension last month to stay with the team long-term.

He might not win the MVP award this year due to voter fatigue, yet he is clearly one of the top two or three players in the league.

The Greek Freak is averaging 27.0 PPG, 10.3 RPG, and 5.1 APG this season. However, he hasn’t been as dominant as he was in previous years. Antetokuonmpo is averaging 3.9 turnovers per game and is only knocking down 30.9 percent of his threes.

Khris Middleton had a breakout 2019-20 season. Middleton became a star in his own right, stepping out of Giannis’ shadow.

The Bucks' guard has continued to be an excellent shooter through 15 games this season with 21.9 PPG on 51.9 percent shooting and 44.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Additionally, Middleton is averaging 6.2 RPG and 5.7 APG.

Milwaukee traded for Jrue Holiday in the offseason to try to bring the Bucks across the finish line. Holiday was seen as the clutch guard this team needed to finally make it back to the NBA Finals after a prolonged absence. He is averaging 16.1 PPG and 5.1 APG this season.

Key Injuries

Atlanta Hawks

• PG Trae Young: Back - Questionable
• PF De'Andre Hunter: Knee - Questionable
• SG Bogdan Bogdanovic: Knee - Out
• PG Kris Dunn: Ankle - Out

Milwaukee Bucks

• None

Atlanta’s backcourt continues to be short-handed with Dunn and Bogdanovic out for the foreseeable future. That would stretch the Hawks’ depth even further if Young were unable to suit up on Sunday night.

Hawks-Bucks Prediction

Keep an eye on the status of Young and Hunter as their presence or absence will have a significant impact on the betting odds for this game.

This game has a good chance of going 'over' if they play given their scoring prowess, so that’s the pick if they are on the court.

Score Prediction: Bucks 119, Hawks 115
Best Bet: Over