Wizards vs. Bucks 2023 NBA Odds and Preview – January 3rd

By Jeff Stinger • January 3, 2023

Southeast visits Central in this clash between the Washington Wizards and the Milwaukee Bucks. The pair features four regular-season games, including a back-to-back road game for the Wizards. The visitors already have a blowout win against the 2021 NBA champions. After drawing the first blood on the road, the Eastern Conference tenth seed has momentum coming into the second game.

Meanwhile, the Bucks are the better team on paper with 23 wins and 13 losses good for a third-best record in the same conference. Head coach Mike Budenholzer looks to improve their 1-5 record in the last six games.

Nitrobetting shares the latest news, NBA odds, and special features throughout the 2022-23 NBA season. Let’s get a closer look at the upcoming Wizards vs. Bucks face-off in this preview.

Wizards vs. Bucks Game Information

In Photos: Bucks practice ahead of next game vs. Wizards.
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) January 3, 2023

When: Tuesday, January 3, 2023, 8:00 PM ET
Where: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
TV: BSWI, NBCSWA
Radio: The Team 980 (Wizards) // WTMJ 620 (Bucks)
Live Stream: NBA League Pass
NBA Betting Odds: Wizards (+7.5) // Bucks (-7.5)

Why Bet on the Washington Wizards?

The Wizards look solid ahead of the game with five-straight wins in the bag. They have a shot at extending the streak to six, but the Bucks are not going to let them slide easy this time. Washington’s starting five will not have star guard Bradley Beal on the floor as he recently aggravated a hamstring injury, while big man Daniel Gafford is day-to-day. Corey Kispert is likely to fill in the point guard position while Kristaps Porzingis fills in for Gafford should the latter fail to check in. This also means Rui Hachimura takes over starting forward.

As a team, the Wizards average 112.1 points per game on 48.3% shooting. They have competent offensive figures that could put the Bucks in trouble again. Twenty-plus point scorers Kyle Kuzma and Kirstaps Porzingis are ready to take the offensive lead with top scorer Bradley Beal out of the lineup. Meanwhile, Rui Hachimura has been providing quality numbers for the franchise, averaging 13.59 points and 4.82 rebounds in 22 games.

Defensively, the Wizards prove that they are one of the better two-way teams in the league holding opponents to 112.4 points per game on 46.0% shooting. They have a solid interior defense that keeps competitors to 51.6% from the two-point range.

Why Bet on the Milwaukee Bucks?

The Milwaukee Bucks are in a rut after dropping four of their last five games. They also gave up a home loss to the Wizards in their previous matchup. It’s a tall order to get the offensive line going with starters Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, and Giannis Antetokounmpo on the injury list. Nevertheless, they have the upper hand on paper with a better season record and home advantage that gives them a huge -8.0 advantage over the Wizards.

The hosts hold opponents to 112.4 points per game on 45.6% shooting. They heavily rely on the Greek Freak for their offensive efforts as the 28-year-old tops the player stats with 32.07 points and 11.83 boards to his name. If he fails to get the green light on Tuesday, Bobby Portis and Grayson Allen will have to lead the charge. Both players average north of 10 points per game and are expected to be impact players without Holiday and Middleton.

Defense is where the Bucks do most of the work. They hold competitors to 110.7 points per game on 45.6% opponent shooting, limiting teams to 51.6% from the two-point range and 35.1% from deep. Furthermore, Milwaukee takes pride in its rim protection with an average of 5.4 blocks per game on top of 57.6 total boards per game.

Wizards vs. Bucks Betting Trends

The Wizards are 4-1 in the last five road contests (4-1 ATS).
The Wizards are 2-2 in the last four games against the Bucks (2-2 ATS).
The totals went over in the Wizards’ last six games against the Bucks.
The Bucks are 4-1 in the last five games at Fiserv Forum (4-1 ATS).
The Bucks are 6-4 in the last ten home games against the Wizards (5-5 ATS).
The totals went under in two of the Bucks’ last four home games.

Wizards vs. Bucks Expert Betting Prediction

The Wizards have what it takes to blow the doors as seen in their previous meeting, but they’ve also been inconsistent at times. Playing another road game against the Bucks might be harder than the first one despite the hosts facing injury woes. Nevertheless, covering a +8.0 spread should be doable for the side if they stay consistent. But, we expect a tougher Milwaukee squad to step up against the Wizards. They are the game favorites for a reason after all. This is a contest you wouldn’t want to miss.

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This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more 2022-23 NBA season previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest basketball betting odds on our online BTC sportsbook.

*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.

Game Information