Brooklyn Nets fans are currently living on cloud nine after Kevin Durant delivered a performance for the ages in a must-win Game 5 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Willing the Nets to a 114-108 victory, Durant played all 48 minutes and finished with 49 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists, while shooting 16-of-23 (69.5%) from the floor. He became the first player in NBA playoff history to record 45 plus points, 15 plus rebounds and 10 plus assists in a single game.
While we want nothing more than to heap praise on Durant’s behalf for this all-time great performance, the Nets still have business to take care of. Though they lead the series 3-2, Brooklyn is winless in Milwaukee in four attempts this season, including the playoffs.
So, who has the edge heading into Thursday night’s all-important Game 6?
Nets vs Bucks Game Info
Tip off from Fiserv Forum is scheduled for 830 p.m. ET on Thursday night and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
Nets vs Bucks Spread & Odds
Durant going nuclear in Game 5 wasn’t enough for the Nets to be favored in Game 6. However, that shouldn’t surprise anyone considering Brooklyn were underdogs on Tuesday night, too. As things stand, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks are favored by 5.5 points and are -220 on the money line.
For any over/under betting savants out there, expect the total to be set at an even 220, which seems a little odd given the first five games produced an average total of 206.6 points.
On top of that, the two games played in Milwaukee generated a combined 372 points, which equates to an average of 186 points. Basic math would say to bet the under, but that means you have to root for fewer buckets, and that’s never fun.
Nets vs Bucks Betting Trends
The Nets have had much better luck against the spread this season, topping it with a 45-36 advantage. When pegged as an underdog by at least 3.5 points (there haven’t been many instances where they were 5.5 dogs), however, they’ve tallied an even 24-24 record.
This shouldn’t surprise anyone, given the Nets’ historically efficient offense and relatively soft defense, but Brooklyn and their opponents have hit the over at a 53.1% clip this season.
The Bucks, meanwhile, have a losing record against the spread in games when they’ve been favored by at least 3.5 points this season, going 28-32 with one push.
In a truly mind-boggling coincidence, Milwaukee has enjoyed the same luck in the over/under department as the Nets this year, hitting the over in 43 of 81 games, or 53.1% (!).
Nets vs Bucks Prediction & Pick
The moment you’ve all been waiting for.
Unfortunately for Nets fans, we’re having trouble picturing a scenario where this series doesn’t come back to Brooklyn for a Game 7. James Harden was nothing more than a decoy playing on a compromised hamstring and Jeff Green isn’t going to shoot 7-of-8 from three again.
With that being said, however, expect the Nets to cover the +5.5 spread and for this game to produce over 220 combined points. The Fiserv Forum is going to be rocking, and we simply can’t expect Durant to replicate a 49-17-10 line two days after playing 48 minutes.
Kevin Durant injury history and updates
Following the Nets’ loss to the Bucks in Game 4, all eyes are on Kevin Durant. Here’s a comprehensive look at Durant’s injury history to date.