Bucks vs. Nets prediction and odds for Friday, December 23 (Brooklyn stays hot at home)

The Bucks travel to Brooklyn to face the Nets in a battle of Eastern Conference titans on Friday night.

Milwaukee surpassed the Celtics atop the East standings this week, sitting a half game up on Boston entering Friday’s tilt, but Brooklyn is fast approaching, on a league best seven-game winning streak, and only two-and-a-half games behind the Bucks.

The Nets have won 14 of 17 behind MVP-like play from Kevin Durant, will it hold up against the betting favorite to win the award, Giannis Antetokounmpo?

Here are the odds and our Bucks vs. Nets betting pick for Friday night’s matchup:

Bucks vs. Nets Odds, Spread and Total

Bucks vs. Nets Prediction and Pick

The Nets have won nine of 10 and have the best offense in the league over that span as Durant continues to play at a league-best level, averaging over 30 points per game on 56% from the field. Now, the Bucks are more than capable with Antetokounmpo also playing at a high level, but the Nets offense may have the antidote for the Bucks defense.

Milwaukee typically shuts off the paint, allowing the fourth lowest frequency of shots inside of six feet this season at just 31.5%. However, the Nets are jump shooting savants, built to destroy you from 15 feet with Durant and Kyrie Irving (the two best jump shooters in the league) surrounded by three-point marksmen like Joe Harris (38%), Royce O’Neale (41%) and Yuta Watanabe (53%).

Brooklyn’s on a roll on offense, but will the defense hold up? The team is still struggling at rebounding, 28th in the league, but they have become a stout interior team around the likes of Nicolas Claxton. The Nets are allowing the seventh fewest points in the paint this season despite allowing the seventh highest rate of shots inside of six feet due to Claxton’s presence in the paint.

Of course, Antetokounmpo changes the calculus of any defense, but the offense as a collective is not punishing teams, especially from the perimeter. The Bucks are 17th in effective field goal percentage while the Nets are best in the league.

The Nets are rolling right now and I’ll lay the small number with them to get the job done as they make it 15 out of 18.

Track all of Reed’s bets at Betstamp HERE!

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.