Milwaukee Bucks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers January 21 Betting Preview

One night after losing their 12th consecutive regular season game to the Golden State Warriors, the Cleveland Cavaliers (28-19) have an opportunity to quickly get back in the win column in a meeting with the Milwaukee Bucks (29-16) tonight. It's a true test for the Cavaliers, who have lost back-to-back games and are 5-5 in their last 10. Cleveland was viewed as a legit Eastern Conference contender no more than one month ago.

The Cavs have had a fairly tough schedule as of late, with games against the Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, and Phoenix Suns. Their schedule gets a little easier after tonight's game against the Bucks, but they'd love to build some momentum heading into their subsequent games with a win tonight.

Sports betting in Ohio is live. Visit betJACK today to get up to a $200 deposit match!

Milwaukee Bucks Betting Preview

Milwaukee is 6-4 in their last 10 games and is starting to look like the team most analysts and fans expected this season. Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging 31 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game, while Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, Jrue Holiday, and Grayson Allen, the team's other four starters, are all averaging at least 10 points per game. 

The Bucks score 112.6 points per game, which ranks 21st in the NBA. They're one of the league's best three-point shooting teams, at least in terms of shots made. They average 14 made threes per game, but rank 17th in success rate at 35.5. They're second in rebounds at 48.5 and have the third-best defensive rating at 111.9.

Milwaukee is 24-18-3 against the spread (ATS) this season, covering 57.1 percent of the time. The over has hit in 23 of the Bucks 45 games this season. 

Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview

This is truly a statement game for the Cavs after losing to a shorthanded Warriors team on Friday. Golden State, coming off an overtime loss to the Boston Celtics the night prior, rested Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins. Jordan Poole led the Warriors to victory nonetheless with 32 points.

"We didn't respect the game. It's that simple," Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the disappointing loss to the Warriors. "They've got champions over there, and we thought some of those guys were out, so we were gonna take it lightly, and we got what we deserved."

Cleveland may be faced with a similar scenario tonight as Antetokounmpo is out with a knee injury. You can bet they'll come ready to play tonight regardless of who’s on the court for the Bucks. 

Bucks vs. Cavaliers Betting Odds and Prediction

Cleveland is the -141 moneyline favorite for tonight's game, while the Bucks are paying out +118. For the spread, Milwaukee is listed as +2.5 (-110), while the Cavs are -2.5 (-110). The total is set at 217.5, with the over and under paying out -110 each.

This is a perfect bounce-back opponent for the Cavs and one they should have no trouble getting up for. It may be close, but they should cover a three-point margin. Take the Cavs -2.5 (-110) for the best value tonight.