The Milwaukee Bucks will face the Charlotte Hornets on Friday at Fiserv Forum. This will be the second meeting between the two teams, with the Bucks winning 130-99 on November 18. The Bucks will play on the second night back-to-back and are coming off a 105-129 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves at home on Thursday. Jae Crowder had his best game of the season, including a game-high 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Meanwhile, the Hornets lost their previous game against the Toronto Raptors at home on Wednesday. Miles Bridges and Brandon Miller combined for 65 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in the loss.
Preview
The Hornets are having one of the worst seasons, going 1-9 in their last 10 games. They have lost nine consecutive games, which can be attributed to the absence of Lamelo Ball, who has missed seven consecutive games due to a right ankle injury. The only good thing for the Hornets has been the resurgence of rookie Brandin Miller, who is averaging 27.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists, and Miles Bridges, who has had consecutive 40+ point games against the LA Lakers and Toronto Raptors.
Meanwhile, the Bucks have lost five games under their new coach, Doc Rivers. In addition to defeats, injuries have also taken a toll on them. Khris Middleton was injured against the Phoenix Suns, twisting his ankle after stepping on Kevin Durant’s shoe. Damian Lillard injured his ankle against the Utah Jazz and missed the last game. Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to carry the heavy load on offense, while defensively, with the return of Brook Lopez, the Bucks are expected to play better.
Starting lineup
The Hornets are expected to start with Brandon Miller, Leaky Black, Cody Martin, Miles Bridges and Nick Richard. Meanwhile, for the Bucks, Malik Beasley, Pat Connaughton, Jae Crowder, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez will be the starting five.
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Prediction
The Milwaukee Bucks are heavily favored to win against the Hornets on Friday with a spread of -13.5 points and a -1100 point spread on the moneyline. Meanwhile, the Hornets are expected to surpass the total set at 231.5, while the Bucks are favored to go down to 232.5.
