Coming into this Milwaukee Bucks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder matchup, both Milwaukee and Oklahoma City are winless this preseason. Their approach to preseason basketball has been very different, given each team’s current status in the NBA, but the results have been the same thus far. In this Sunday matchup in the NBA preseason, both teams will look to get back into the win column, while fortifying their rosters ahead of the regular season.
In this NBA preseason preview of the Bucks and Thunder, get expert pick after expert pick for a contest that should be more competitive than it would be in the regular season. With the Bucks sitting their star players, and the Thunder looking to get the most out of theirs, this game could be more interesting than anticipated by many.
Oklahoma City Thunder – Trying to Build Continuity
The Oklahoma City Thunder will have some of the longest odds to win the NBA Finals this year, and are certainly not a good bet to get there. But there is cause for optimism during this preseason, as the Thunder are healthy and able to experiment with combinations of their more established players and younger talent. Specifically, they will be able to combine the likes of Lu Dort and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with rookie Josh Giddey.
Giddey led the Thunder in scoring in their preseason opener, a loss to the Charlotte Hornets. On a team like Oklahoma City, he should get plenty of chances to shine right away. And in this game against the Bucks, Giddey and the rest of the Thunder should have a chance to shine against a team without any of its top contributors.
Expected Line-Up: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Lu Dort, Darius Bazley, Isaiah Roby
with best odds
Milwaukee Bucks – Waiting For the Regular Season
Coming into this season, the Milwaukee Bucks will be a team that many pick to win the NBA Finals, as they beat the odds to get the job done last year. But it is clear that the Bucks are simply waiting for the regular season to tip off, as they are not putting much stock into the preseason whatsoever. In this game against the Thunder, it is expected that star players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton will not be participating against the lowly Thunder.
Instead, NBA bettors can expect some of the bench players from the Bucks’ roster like Jordan Nwora and Thanasis Antetokounmpo to appear in the starting lineup for Milwaukee. And the players who will be coming off the bench for the Bucks in this game will not be nearly as good as those who normally appear on the floor for the Bucks either. This will work well for Milwaukee heading into the season, but will not bode well for them in this particular game.
Expected Line-Up: Tremont Waters, Jordan Nwora, Giorgios Kalaitzakis, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Sandro Mamukelashvili
Expert Pick #1 – Thunder +4.5 @ -110
The best bet for this game is for the Oklahoma City Thunder to cover the spread as an underdog. Oklahoma City is going to come out with a higher level of effort in this game, both in terms of the players they put on the floor and the level of exertion those players put out there. Milwaukee has made it clear that they are waiting until the season begins to give it their all, which will benefit the Thunder in this particular matchup.
Expert Pick #2 – Thunder to Win @ +156
Another bet worth making in this contest is the Thunder to win this game outright at +156 odds. Oklahoma City is a good value to cover the spread as 4.5-point underdogs, and they have a genuine opportunity to cash moneyline tickets as an underdog also. The roster that the Bucks are using in the preseason is downright bleak, and it would take another massive game from Jordan Nwora for the Bucks to have a chance to keep OKC from winning this one.
Expert Pick #3 – Under 220 @ -110
The last bet to be made for this contest is the under 220. Milwaukee is not fully focused on the preseason and, while they could still put up big numbers, there is a decent chance that their lineup full of backups will struggle to put up points. This game will not be as well played as it would be if these teams played in the regular season, and the total will reflect that.
This season isn’t expected to go well for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but this should be a good night for them in preseason action. The Thunder are going to put a better team on the court than the Bucks on Sunday night, which will make them a live dog both against the spread and on the moneyline.
