The Cleveland Cavaliers host the Milwaukee Bucks in the regular season finale for both teams on Sunday afternoon. Cleveland and Milwaukee are both in the heat of playoff chases, with the Cavaliers entering at 43-38 and the Bucks entering at 51-30 overall. Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee), Khris Middleton (wrist), Bobby Portis (shoulder), and Brook Lopez (back) are listed as doubtful for Milwaukee, with Grayson Allen (hip) and George Hill (abdominal) ruled out. Jarrett Allen (finger) is out for Cleveland.
Tip-off is at 3:30 p.m. ET in Cleveland. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Cavaliers as 8.5-point home favorites, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 224 in the latest Bucks vs. Cavaliers odds. Before you make any Cavaliers vs. Bucks picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model enters Week 25 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 84-54 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning over $2,400. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Bucks vs. Cavaliers, and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Cavaliers vs. Bucks:
- Bucks vs. Cavaliers spread: Cavaliers -8.5
- Bucks vs. Cavaliers over-under: 224 points
- Bucks vs. Cavaliers money line: Bucks +285, Cavs -360
- MIL: The Bucks are 23-17 against the spread in road games
- CLE: The Cavaliers are 21-17-2 against the spread in home games
Featured Game | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Milwaukee Bucks
Why the Bucks can cover
Milwaukee is strong on both ends of the floor. The Bucks are in the top five of the NBA in points per game and offensive efficiency, producing 114.4 points per 100 possessions. Milwaukee converts more than 14 3-pointers per game, a top-five figure, and the Bucks are in the top 10 in field goal accuracy (46.8 percent) and 3-point accuracy (36.6 percent). Milwaukee ranks in the top 10 in free throw creation, attempting 22.8 shots per game at the stripe, and the Bucks commit only 13.4 turnovers per game.
On defense, Milwaukee secures 74.7 percent of available rebounds, the No. 2 mark in the NBA. Opponents produce only 11.3 fast break points and 20.0 free throw attempts per game against the Bucks. Milwaukee also ranks near the top of the NBA in points allowed in the paint (43.4 per game), and opponents are shooting only 45.5 percent from the field against the Bucks.
Why the Cavaliers can cover
The Cavaliers are tremendous on defense, giving up only 108.9 points per 100 possessions. That ranks in the top eight of the NBA, and no team is allowing fewer free throw attempts (19.3 per game) than Cleveland. The Cavaliers rank in the top eight of the league in field goal percentage allowed, two-point percentage allowed, and second-chance points allowed, and Cleveland gives up only 24.1 assists per game.
On offense, Cleveland faces a Milwaukee team that projects to be short-handed, and the Bucks are in the bottom third of the NBA in turnover creation, blocked shots, and 3-pointers allowed per game. The Cavaliers are shooting nearly 47 percent from the field as a team, assisting on more than 63 percent of field goals and producing 25.0 assists per game. Cleveland is above-average in free throw creation (22.1 attempts per game) and points in the paint (48.2 per game), and the Cavaliers are securing 27.7 percent of available offensive rebounds.
How to make Cavaliers vs. Bucks picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the total, projecting 218 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits almost 70 percent of the time. You can only see the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Bucks vs. Cavaliers? And which side of the spread hits almost 70 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.