The Milwaukee Bucks and the Toronto Raptors have a good chance of meeting each other in the Eastern Conference finals. The Bucks are 2-0 straight-up this season against Toronto, which would rather prefer to have a win first against Milwaukee before that possible conference finals scenario. Check out our preview of this game below.
The Raptors had the living daylights knocked out of them last Friday during a 122-100 blowout loss to the Boston Celtics. All Toronto starters didn’t have a good shooting night, including Orlando bubble hero Fred VanVleet, who finished with just 13 points on 4-for-14 shooting from the floor. The Raptors shot just 42.7 percent from the field and hit only 10 of their 38 3-point attempts. Having said all of that, that loss could just be charged to either a plain bad night for the team or simply lack of interest, as the Raptors are sure to play in the postseason. Following a bad loss like that, expect the Raptors to play much better against Milwaukee. Even if there’s not a lot for them to fight for in relation to their playoff fate, the Raptors have the moral obligation as the defending NBA champions to look good after such a humiliating setback.
The Raptors are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games.
As mentioned, earlier, the Bucks have two wins at the expense of Toronto this season. Giannis Antetokounmpo played well in both games, erupting for 36 points in their 115-105 home win last November and putting up a double-double effort of 19 points and 19 rebounds in a 108-97 road win last February. Without a doubt, assuming that he’ll play significant minutes this Monday, Antetokounmpo will be the marked man once again in the Milwaukee side. It’s nice for the reigning MVP to have a partner in Khris Middleton, who had 22 points and eight rebounds in that February win over Toronto. Despite their recent losses, the Bucks seems to be rounding into form in time for the playoffs, especially Brook Lopez, who just scored 34 points in the Bucks’ 136-132 overtime loss against the Dallas Mavericks Saturday night.
The Bucks are 2-0 against the spread in their last two games against the Raptors.
