Bucks vs. Cavaliers Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for November 16 (Milwaukee Rebounds in Defensive Battle)

Bucks vs. Cavaliers Game Info

• Date: Wednesday, November 16, 2022
• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
• Venue: Fiserv Forum -- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Coverage: BSOH and BSWI

The Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers meet up for the first time this season in a clash between two Eastern Conference powerhouses.

The Bucks are still hanging on to the No. 2 seed in the East despite losing three of their last four games, while the Cavaliers have slipped to the No. 4 seed after losing four in a row.

One of these scuffling teams will bounce back with a win on Wednesday -- the only question is which one?

Bucks vs. Cavaliers Odds & Spread

• All NBA betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: MIL: (-166) | CLE: (+140)
• Spread: MIL: -3.5 (-112) | CLE: +3.5 (-108)
• Total: 217.5 -- Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

Not surprisingly, the Bucks are favored at home on the spread and the moneyline against the skidding Cavaliers. This game also features one of the lowest totals on Wednesday's slate, which makes sense given how well both defenses have played thus far.

Bucks vs. Cavaliers Betting Trends

• The Bucks have covered the spread in a game eight times this season (8-4-0).
• This year, the Cavaliers won ATS in their only game as an underdog of 4 points or more.
• Bucks games have finished with a final combined score above the over/under five times out of 13 chances this season.
• The Cavaliers have gone over the point total 61.5% of the time this season (eight of 13 games with a set point total).
• Milwaukee has covered the spread in a higher percentage of its home games than road games. It has covered six times in eight opportunities when playing at home, and it has covered two times in four opportunities in road games.
• Against the spread, Cleveland has performed better at home (4-1-0) than on the road (4-3-1).

Bucks vs. Cavaliers Prediction & Pick

The Cavaliers started the season on fire, winning eight games in a row at one point. They've since come crashing back to earth, however, losing four straight games, including their last three away tilts.

It's hard to see them bouncing back on the road here against the Bucks, who have one of the most talented rosters in the NBA and currently lead the league in defensive rating. Milwaukee is going through a brief rough patch of its own, but Giannis Antetokounmpo is having another stellar season and can usually will his team to victory on any given night.

Cleveland has an outstanding defense too (third in defensive rating) and should get Donovan Mitchell back, but will still miss Jarrett Allen and will likely come up just short on the road in a lower-scoring game.

Prediction: Bucks 108 | Cavaliers 104

Bucks vs. Cavaliers Best Bet

As mentioned, both of these teams rank in the top 3 in defensive rating, so points will be hard to come by in this game. Milwaukee already struggles to score as it is (23rd in offensive rating), while Cleveland plays at one of the slowest paces in the league (26th).

Giannis and Mitchell will get theirs, but their teammates could struggle to find open looks and there will likely be a lot of missed shots as a result. Expect both teams to have poor shooting nights here as they try to grind each other down.

The total is already pretty low, but wagering on the under still appears to be a good bet.

Bet: Under 217.5 points (-110)

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.