NBA Betting Preview: A Look at Bucks-Blazers

Milwaukee Bucks at Portland Trail Blazers, Rose Garden, Portland, OR
Monday, December 20, 2010, 10:05 pm Eastern, TV: Fox Sports-Wisconsin, Comcast (Northwest), NBA League Pass
Opening Line: Portland -3
Current Line: Portland -3 1/2
Opening Total: 181
Current Total: 179
Money Line: Portland –165 / Milwaukee +145

LeMarcus Aldridge and the short-handed Blazers take on the Milwaukee Bucks in Portland. The Blazers are a 3 1/2 point favorite.

The 10-15 Milwaukee Bucks travel to Portland to take on the 14-14 Trail Blazers. Both teams are battling injuries. Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings is out 4-6 weeks with a fractured foot. Center Andrew Bogut jammed his arm in the Bucks loss Saturday at Utah. He said it felt numb but he is expected to play tonight. However, any injury concerns the Bucks have pale to the Blazers’ concerns. Brandon Roy has missed the Blazer’s last two games with a left knee injury, and is expected to miss tonight’s game as well. In addition, Marcus Camby, Nicolas Batum, and Joel Pryzbilla are all questionable for the game as well. Portland won in Milwaukee November 2 90-76 but they had all their starters healthy in that game. Portland is 3-1 both ATS and straight up against Milwaukee in the last three seasons. Three of the last five meetings have gone under the total.

The Bucks are scoring 91.6 points a game, which is last in the NBA. They allow 93.2 points a game which is 6th in the league. They are last in the league in assists per game with 18 per game, and 6th in rebounds 42.6 per game. The Bucks shoot 41% from the field and 34% of three-pointers. They make 74.1% of their free throws. The Bucks average 13.8 turnovers a game, 6.84 steals, and 5.04 blocks a game. The offense will miss Jennings as he is the teams leading scorer (17.9 PPG) and in assists (5.5 a game). Veteran Earl Boykins will run the point while Jennings is out. Andrew Bogut is the team’s leading rebounder with 11.8 a game, and the second leading scorer with 14.6 PPG. He also leads the team in blocks with 3 a game. Seven Bucks average double figures in scoring.

Portland scores 94.6 points a game which is 24th in the league. They allow 95.2 points a game, which is 7th in the league. When healthy, Portland is one of the most dangerous teams in the league and can play with the elite teams in the league on any given night. The Blazers shoot 43.7% from the field and 32.8 form beyond the 3 point line. They make 79 percent of their free throws. Portland averages 40.1 rebounds a game but that number will go down without three strong rebounders like Roy, Camby, and Pryzbilla. They average 21 assists per game. Portland averages 8.29 steals per game, 4.68 blocks, and 13.8 turnovers a game. Power forward LeMarcus Aldridge will have to pick up more of the scoring and rebounding slack without Roy and Camby in the line-up. He is averaging 18.7 points and 8.1 rebounds a game. Point Guard Andre Miller is averaging 13.2 points, 7.2 assists and 1.9 steals a game. On Saturday, the Blazers won 96-95 at home vs Golden St. The Blazers only dressed 9 players for that game but 6 of the 9 scored in double figures.

Milwaukee is in the middle of playing 7 straight Western Conference opponents. The Bucks have played 13 games against Western Conference foes this season and are 3-10 in those games. They are only scoring 89.1 points a game against teams from the West. The shorthanded Blazers still have more talent than the Bucks. The Bucks will miss Jennings and it will take some some time to adjust as this is the first game he has ever missed since being drafted last year.