by Chuck Sommers
Tuesday, Jan 31, 2023
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Venue: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
Where to watch: BSWI, BSSE-CHA
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Bucks -12
FanDuel: Bucks -12
BetMGM: Bucks -12.5
Caesars: Bucks -12
Season record
Hornets: 15-36
Bucks: 33-17
The second half of the basketball season is upon us, and what a cluster we've got in the standings right now, right? So many teams are in the playoff hunt, so many teams not expected to make the playoffs are in the process of trying to prove people wrong. You know who doesn't need to be made wrong? Our champion handicappers who have been killing it all year long. Scott Rickenbach is coming off a 5-2-0 week over the last seven days, while Doc's Sports has been efficient at 14-8-0 over the last 30 days. Do you want to get on this winning? Make sure you're following our champion handicappers at bigal.com to celebrate in these moments!
Hornets - Bucks preview, prediction and analysis
Recent form
Hornets: won 122-117 vs. Heat
Bucks: won 135-110 vs. Pelicans
The Charlotte Hornets will be playing the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, January 31 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The Charlotte Hornets won against the Miami Heat on Sunday in [arena/stadium and city/state] with a score of [score]. The Charlotte Hornets currently rank 5th in the Southeast Division.
Terry Rozier scored 31 points, P.J. Washington had 27 and the Charlotte Hornets stopped Miami's three-game win streak with a 122-117 victory over the Heat on Sunday.
LaMelo Ball scored 13 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter as Charlotte improved to 7-16 at home. Gordon Hayward was a perfect 7 of 7 from the field for 20 points.
Rozier also had seven assists and six rebounds. He was 11 for 19 from the field, including a 5-for-11 performance from 3-point range. He made two buzzer-beater 3s at the end of quarters.
The Hornets, who have been hampered by injuries all season, have won four of six for the team's best stretch of the season. Washington believes it's a reflection of the team getting healthier.
Charlotte's projected starting five to begin the season is finally back on the floor and appears to be starting to mesh.
“Everybody is back and everybody is healthy — and that is a major difference,” Washington said. “At the end of the day we have to keep going the way we are right now.”
Hayward has struggled with shoulder and hamstring issues, limiting the team's highest-paid player to just 24 games.
Sunday marked his best game in months.
“He's playing confident and getting easy baskets and just bullying guys down low,” Washington said. “He's playing great basketball and I expect that of him every night.”
Whether a now healthy Hornets team can make a playoff push remains to be seen, but coach Steve Clifford remains optimistic.
“Getting ’Melo and Gordon back, obviously you’re a different team,” Clifford said. “If we can get into playing set groups then we’ll have a good chance to hopefully put some good stretches together. (It helps) when they know who they’re playing with and they know where the shots are coming from.”
The Charlotte Hornets have won four of their last 10 games.
The Milwaukee Bucks won against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, January 31 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with a score of 135-110. The Milwaukee Bucks currently rank 1st in the Central Division.
Giannis Antetokounmpo says he wants to keep producing outstanding performances that he can show his kids one day when they're old enough to appreciate them.
The two-time MVP added one more to the list Sunday night.
Antetokounmpo scored 50 points while playing only 30 minutes as the Milwaukee Bucks rolled to a 135-110 victory over the slumping New Orleans Pelicans. Antetokounmpo shot 20 of 26 from the floor – including 3 of 4 from 3-point range – and 7 of 12 from the foul line.
“They might say, ‘Daddy, you’re boring. You're lame. We don't want to see your highlights. We've heard so much about you. We want to watch Scooby-Doo' or whatever the case might be,” Antetokounmpo said. “I'm just going to keep creating the way people in the past created, the way I can go back and watch Magic Johnson highlights, Kevin Garnett highlights, Kobe Bryant highlights, Allen Iverson highlights, KD's, LeBron's. They've created so much art throughout the years, and we can go back and see it and admire what they did. Tim Duncan."
Antetokounmpo's 50 points were five off the career high he set Jan. 4 in a 123-113 victory over the Washington Wizards.
Jrue Holiday scored 17 and Brook Lopez added 15 for the Bucks, who shot 55.2%.
This marked the 10th time this season that Antetokounmpo has scored at least 40 points, matching the career high he set last year for 40-point games in a single season.
The Milwaukee Bucks have won seven of their last 10 games.
Prediction
You can't stop Giannis. You can only hope to contain him. And teams can't even contain him right now. Bucks 124, Hornets 105
The Charlotte Hornets will be playing the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, January 31 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The Charlotte Hornets won against the Miami Heat on Sunday in [arena/stadium and city/state] with a score of [score]. The Charlotte Hornets currently rank 5th in the Southeast Division.
Terry Rozier scored 31 points, P.J. Washington had 27 and the Charlotte Hornets stopped Miami's three-game win streak with a 122-117 victory over the Heat on Sunday.
LaMelo Ball scored 13 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter as Charlotte improved to 7-16 at home. Gordon Hayward was a perfect 7 of 7 from the field for 20 points.
Rozier also had seven assists and six rebounds. He was 11 for 19 from the field, including a 5-for-11 performance from 3-point range. He made two buzzer-beater 3s at the end of quarters.
The Hornets, who have been hampered by injuries all season, have won four of six for the team's best stretch of the season. Washington believes it's a reflection of the team getting healthier.
Charlotte's projected starting five to begin the season is finally back on the floor and appears to be starting to mesh.
“Everybody is back and everybody is healthy — and that is a major difference,” Washington said. “At the end of the day we have to keep going the way we are right now.”
Hayward has struggled with shoulder and hamstring issues, limiting the team's highest-paid player to just 24 games.
Sunday marked his best game in months.
“He's playing confident and getting easy baskets and just bullying guys down low,” Washington said. “He's playing great basketball and I expect that of him every night.”
Whether a now healthy Hornets team can make a playoff push remains to be seen, but coach Steve Clifford remains optimistic.
“Getting ’Melo and Gordon back, obviously you’re a different team,” Clifford said. “If we can get into playing set groups then we’ll have a good chance to hopefully put some good stretches together. (It helps) when they know who they’re playing with and they know where the shots are coming from.”
The Charlotte Hornets have won four of their last 10 games.
The Milwaukee Bucks won against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, January 31 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with a score of 135-110. The Milwaukee Bucks currently rank 1st in the Central Division.
Giannis Antetokounmpo says he wants to keep producing outstanding performances that he can show his kids one day when they're old enough to appreciate them.
The two-time MVP added one more to the list Sunday night.
Antetokounmpo scored 50 points while playing only 30 minutes as the Milwaukee Bucks rolled to a 135-110 victory over the slumping New Orleans Pelicans. Antetokounmpo shot 20 of 26 from the floor – including 3 of 4 from 3-point range – and 7 of 12 from the foul line.
“They might say, ‘Daddy, you’re boring. You're lame. We don't want to see your highlights. We've heard so much about you. We want to watch Scooby-Doo' or whatever the case might be,” Antetokounmpo said. “I'm just going to keep creating the way people in the past created, the way I can go back and watch Magic Johnson highlights, Kevin Garnett highlights, Kobe Bryant highlights, Allen Iverson highlights, KD's, LeBron's. They've created so much art throughout the years, and we can go back and see it and admire what they did. Tim Duncan."
Antetokounmpo's 50 points were five off the career high he set Jan. 4 in a 123-113 victory over the Washington Wizards.
Jrue Holiday scored 17 and Brook Lopez added 15 for the Bucks, who shot 55.2%.
This marked the 10th time this season that Antetokounmpo has scored at least 40 points, matching the career high he set last year for 40-point games in a single season.
The Milwaukee Bucks have won seven of their last 10 games.
Prediction
You can't stop Giannis. You can only hope to contain him. And teams can't even contain him right now. Bucks 124, Hornets 105
Betting trends
Hornets are 13-14 ATS on the road this season.
Hornets are 22-24 ATS off a home win the past 3 seasons.
Bucks are 23-12 ATS as a favorite this season.
Bucks are 17-8 ATS at home this season.
Projected starting lineup
Hornets:
PG: LaMelo Ball
SG: Terry Rozier
SF: Gordon Hayward
PF: P.J. Washington
C: Mason Plumlee
Bucks:
PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Grayson Allen
SF: Khris Middleton
PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo
C: Brook Lopez
Statistical leaders
Hornets:
Points: LaMelo Ball -- 23.0
Rebounds: Mason Plumlee -- 9.7
Assists: LaMelo Ball -- 8.2
Bucks:
Points: Giannis Antetokounmpo -- 31.7
Rebounds: Giannis Antetokounmpo -- 12.0
Assists: Jrue Holiday -- 7.3
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert basketball picks today. And if you enjoyed this Charlotte Hornets - Milwaukee Bucks prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily NBA projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
