Time to Place a Few Bucks on Milwaukee?

With 21 games left in the regular season, the Milwaukee Bucks may finally be showing signs of life. Doc Rivers’ rambling and the Bucks’ uninspired play are in the rear-view mirror following five straight wins coming out of the All-Star Break.

But is Milwaukee a team bettors can trust? Not according to Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) and the boys of Bet the EDGE.

“I do not want to say they have fixed everything that has been wrong with them because the old issue with them this season has been the defense,” said Dalzell. “They have not had nearly the defensive system they had last year with Jrue Holiday (traded in the offseason to make room for Damian Lillard)…We have to remind ourselves of who they have played…they beat Chicago, the Hornets twice, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Sixers without Joel Embiid – not exactly Murders’ Row…I think they do win the division…but as far as winning the East? I’m not ready to go there.”

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Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) talked about the Bucks’ continuing flaws in their own end.

“I don’t think we have enough evidence to say they are fixed. I think the defense just has structural holes that are not going to get better. I think a big part of what has made Brook Lopez so dominant defensively during his time in Milwaukee is that he has had either a Jrue Holiday or a really, really good Eric Bledsoe chasing guys around screens directing them to the exact spot that makes Lopez most effective. So, I don’t think that the defense has an elite ceiling.”

A holder of a Celtics’ Futures ticket, Croucher is not ready to dismiss Milwaukee.

“The thing with the Bucks that scares me as someone who is heavily invested in the Celtics to win it all is that when Lopez, Lillard, Giannis, and Middleton – their big four – when they are on the floor together, they have a +17 offensive rating which is insane. That’s like the best in the league type of stuff.”

Giannis and the Bucks’ slow start has left them with work to do. They own the 3^rd most difficult schedule the rest of the season while the Celtics have the Association’s 3^rd easiest schedule and the Cavaliers’ own the 17^th easiest.

That said, the Milwaukee Bucks (-145) are now the favorites to win the NBA’s Central Division and have risen to second favorite (+290) to win the Eastern Conference.

There is value left in the Bucks this season, but bettors need to take seriously Milwaukee’s schedule and thin lineup not to mention a potential matchup with the Boston Celtics before wading into the Futures Market as we head into the final quarter of the NBA’s regular season.