Milwaukee Bucks at Orlando Magic 1/11/21 - NBA Picks & Predictions

The Milwaukee Bucks travel on the road to Amway Center to take on the Orlando Magic. The Bucks have won four of their last five games and are fresh off a 100-90 win over Cleveland to improve to 6-4 on the year. Orlando has lost two in a row on the road, falling to Houston by 42 points and then a 112-98 loss to the Mavericks. 

The Bucks are the league’s best scoring offense to this point in the NBA season, they’re averaging 122 points per game and shooting 49.3% from the field. The improvement of the Bucks this season has come from their ability to knock down the three making 40.1% of them on  40.1 attempts per game, the fifth-most in the league. 

 Milwaukee is led by the reigning back to back MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, he’s averaging a double-double with 27.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. He leads the team in both categories and is tied for second in assists with 5.2 per game. The Bucks resigned Kris Middleton in the offseason, he’s led the team in assists with 5.9 per game and is second on the team in points averaging 22.7 per.

Orlando has dropped back to back games and has really struggled offensively all saeson long averaging 106.8 points per game, the 26th ranked scoring offense. As a unit, the Magic are shooting 43.7% from the field. They lack a true three-point threat and are making a league-worst 32.2% of their threes. 

Center Nikola Vucevic leads the way for the Magic averaging 22 points and 11.1 rebounds per game, the 9th most per game in the NBA this season. He’s shooting 50.9% from the field and 42.1% from beyond the arc. Shooting guard Terrence Ross is averaging 17.9 points and has provided a huge spark for the Magic off the bench.

Orlando has allowed 109.2 points per game ranking 9th in the NBA in scoring defense with opposing teams shooting 47.7% from the field. The Bucks play uptempo as any team in the NBA and it affects their defensive numbers where they allow 111.4 points per game ranking 18th in the NBA in scoring defense.