The Milwaukee Bucks are back in action on Monday night as they face the Portland Trail Blazers at 10 p.m. ET on NBA TV. One player's status to keep an eye on ahead of tip-off is Giannis Antetokounmpo, who missed games on and off in January.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Injury Update (1/31/2023)
Giannis is still dealing with right knee soreness, which is an injury that has hindered him throughout this season. The good news is that he has been listed as probable to suit up on Monday night. All signs points to the Greek Freak playing with a minimal, if any, minutes limit against the Trail Blazers.
The Bucks own a 6-5 record without Giannis this season, but have lost four of their last six games without him on the court. The former NBA MVP is the focal point of the team on both offense and defense, averaging 32.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 0.8 blocks per game this season.
While Antetokounmpo is expected to play on Monday, expect to see a few more off games for the 28-year-old before the postseason arrives in April. After all, the last thing Milwaukee wants to see occur is its best player pushing himself too hard in a regular season game and suffering a significant injury.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Fantasy Outlook and Prop Bets Today
Giannis Antetokounmpo is listed with over/unders of 34.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists on Monday, according to FanDuel Sportsbook's NBA odds. I lean toward backing Antetokounmpo's rebounds prop as he is averaging 14.7 boards over his last seven games. Portland is also giving up an opponent defensi ve rebounding percentage of 78.6% over its last three games (No. 18 in NBA).
Antetokounmpo is the top option on the FanDuel DFS slate tonight, too, checking in with the most expensive price tag overall ($12,200). It should come as no surprise as the Greek Freak is averaging 56.0 FanDuel fantasy points per game and is set to face a Portland defense that will be without center Jusuf Nurkic due to injury. He should be able to get to the rim with ease whenever he wants tonight.