Do you know what team was the best against the NBA betting point spread last year? Yes, it was the Milwaukee Bucks. They went a sizzling 52-28-2 against the number a year ago. Will the Bucks be worth an NBA bet this year or will they slip? The Bucks have an immediate concern heading into the 2010-2011 seasons. Center Andrew Bogut has not even played yet in the preseason due to soreness and swelling in his right hand. He said that he may not be completely healthy this season. He said he will play through the pain this season but that he expects he will only be at 85 or 90%.
The Maggette Curse – Do you realize that the Bucks now have Corey Maggette on their team? Do you really want to plunk money down on a team that has Maggette? The Bucks lost Luke Ridnour, Kurt Thomas, Jerry Stackhouse, Dan Gadzuric and Charlie Bell in the off-season. They added Maggette, Drew Gooden, Larry Sanders, Keyon Dooling, Jon Brockman and Chris Douglas-Roberts. If the Bucks are to repeat as winners against the spread they will have to figure out a way to do it with Maggette in the lineup. Good luck with that one.
Chemistry Problem – Scott Skiles is a good NBA head coach. He is going to need to be a great one to deal with this roster. Not only does Milwaukee have the mess that is Maggette, they have Drew Gooden to deal with and Brandon Jennings. There is no denying the talent of Jennings but he always wants the ball and that may not work on this team.
Some people making an NBA bet are predicting the Bucks as the fourth best team in the Eastern Conference. That may be too much to ask. The chemistry on this team does not look good and Bogut is not healthy. Last season the Bucks relied heavily upon Bogut. They may not be able to do that this season.
40-1 at SBG – The Bucks are 40-1 to win the NBA title this season. Those odds are optimistic as the Bucks would have to get past Miami, Orlando and Boston in the East. That is not going to happen. The win total on Milwaukee is 42.5 in NBA betting and Milwaukee may have a tough time going over that number this season.