New York Knicks vs Milwaukee Bucks Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 22/12/2023, 12:25  by Joseph King | Modified on 23/12/2023 at 04:30 in NBA Prediction

Madison Square Garden is the venue for a preview of their Christmas Day matchup when the New York Knicks host the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. The Knicks come into this matchup as the Eastern Conference’s fifth-ranked team with a record of 16-11. The Bucks, meanwhile, are chasing down the Celtics at the top of the standings as they currently sit second with a 21-7 record. New York are in a good rhythm as they come into this doubleheader with Milwaukee on a two game winning streak. Their most recent outing resulted in a 121-102 away victory over local rivals Brooklyn at the Barclays Center. Tom Thibodeau’s team has responded strongly after a beatdown from the Clippers in which they allowed 144 points. The Knicks have given up just 105.5 in their last two games against the Lakers and the Nets. They have a strong record at the Garden where they have won seven of 10. 

The Bucks are red-hot at the moment as they continue to close the gap on the conference-leading Celtics. Giannis and company are riding a six game winning streak and have won eight of their last 10 overall. Their 21-7 mark has them trailing Boston by just a half game for the top spot. The visitors are coming off a 118-114 home win over the Orlando Magic in a game where Giannis dropped 37 and Lillard added 24 more. The former Trail Blazers point guard looks to have finally settled after a rough start. Dame is averaging 34 points per game over his last four, a stretch which has lifted his seasonal average up to 26.2 ppg. The one knock on Milwaukee is the level of competition they’ve faced so far. They rank 30th in terms of strength of schedule and have played 18 of their 28 games so far on home soil.