NBA picks: Bucks vs. Heat prediction, odds, over/under, spread, injury report

We have an early Saturday afternoon matchup to look forward to today as the Milwaukee Bucks (27-15) hit the road to face the Miami Heat (23-20) at 1 p.m. ET on ABC. This will be the second time in three days these two opponents will play at the newly dubbed Miami-Dade Arena.

Miami took Thursday's matchup against the Bucks in a 108-102 home victory where both teams were missing several starters. The Heat picked up steam as the game went on, shaking off a slow start to tie the game at halftime and eventually took control in the third quarter. Gabe Vincent led the scoring efforts with 28 points along with six assists. With Giannis Antetokounmpo and others sitting out for Milwaukee, Jrue Holiday led the charge with 24 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds.

On the injury front for today's matchup, Tyler Herro (Achilles) and Kyle Lowry (knee) are out for the Heat. For Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo (knee) is going to miss his second straight game.

Miami enters the game as a 4.5-point favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is installed at 212.5.

Bucks vs. Heat, 1 p.m. ET

Pick ATS: Bucks +4.5

Even with Antetokounmpo sidelined again, I expect the Bucks to come out on top this afternoon. Thursday's matchup was a close contest and Milwaukee still managed to stay within striking distance of the Heat despite shooting just 40.2% from the field. Along with that, this team tends to tighten up after setbacks as the Bucks are 9-5 against the spread after a loss this season. Give me Milwaukee to cover and likely win outright in South Beach today.

Over/Under: Over 212.5

With a day's rest and some weapons returning on both sides, one would expect both teams to shoot much better from the field in this matchup. I don't anticipate a track meet this afternoon, but this game will most likely eclipse the total from Thursday's game. Take the over.

  
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