The New Orleans Pelicans (44-28) will play the second game of a six-game homestand when they host the Milwaukee Bucks (46-26) on Thursday night. New Orleans had won five out of six games before losing to Oklahoma City in a 119-112 final on Tuesday. Milwaukee had won four out of five games prior to its double-overtime loss to the Lakers on Tuesday. The Bucks are in second place in the Eastern Conference, while the Pelicans are in fifth place in the Western Conference.
Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on Thursday at the Smoothie King Center. The Bucks are favored by 2 points in the latest Pelicans vs. Bucks odds, while the over/under is 224.5 points per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Bucks vs. Pelicans picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions from the advanced computer model at SportsLine.
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 five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 23 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 77-50 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,500. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Milwaukee vs. New Orleans. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:
- Pelicans vs. Bucks spread: Pelicans +2
- Pelicans vs. Bucks over/under: 224.5 points
- Pelicans vs. Bucks money line: Pelicans: +110, Bucks: -130
- Pelicans vs. Bucks picks: See picks here
Why the Pelicans can cover
New Orleans is in strong form right now, winning nine of its last 12 games to stay in fifth place in the Western Conference standings. The Pelicans picked up an impressive 111-88 win at Miami last Friday, as point guard CJ McCollum scored 30 points, dished out seven assists and grabbed five rebounds. They handed Detroit its sixth consecutive loss on Sunday, powered by a 36-point performance from Zion Williamson.
Williamson added 29 points and 10 assists in a loss to Oklahoma City on Tuesday, as the Pelicans were ultimately unable to overcome 45.3% shooting from the floor. McCollum stuffed the stat sheet in that game as well, finishing with 23 points, six rebounds and five assists. The Pelicans are 15-4 in their last 19 games in March, while Milwaukee is just 1-4 in its last five road games.
Why the Bucks can cover
Milwaukee is coming off a three-game homestand that began with wins over the Nets and Thunder. The Bucks easily covered the spread as 2.5-point favorites in their 118-93 win over the Thunder, as Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points and 19 rebounds. Running mate Khris Middleton had 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, while Bobby Portis chipped in 15 points off the bench.
The Bucks came up short against the Lakers in double overtime on Tuesday, despite a 29-point, 21-rebound, 11-assist triple-double from Antetokounmpo. Veteran point guard Damian Lillard had 27 points, eight assists and five rebounds, but he shot 3 of 14 from beyond the arc. The Bucks have covered the spread in 11 of their last 16 games, and they have covered in four of their last five games against the Pelicans. See which team to pick here.
How to make Pelicans vs. Bucks picks
The model has simulated Bucks vs. Pelicans 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in almost 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Pelicans vs. Bucks, and which side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Bucks vs. Pelicans spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 77-50 roll on top-rated NBA picks this season, and find out.
