Bucks-Magic Preview 12/28: Storylines, Betting Lines & A Fun Fact
After a few days off, the Milwaukee Bucks get back to it by taking on the Orlando Magic for the third time this season. It is crazy that Orlando did a back-to-back in Milwaukee back in November and now Milwaukee is doing the same thing in Orlando. For the Bucks, this is a great time to be in Florida. This is when a lot of people from the Midwest or Northeast go down to Florida anyway. Milwaukee gets a few days of sun and hopefully, a couple of Bucks wins.
STORYLINES TO WATCH
1. What will the Bucks do with their wings? – To me, this is the biggest thing that they’re going to need to figure out in the next few games. Donte DiVencenzo, Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton, and Wes Matthews are playing together for the first few times all season. It’s going to take some time to gel and find out the right combinations with everyone else. It is going to take a few more weeks before that comes together.
2. Jrue Holiday is on a goddamn heater – What a few couple of weeks for Jrue Holiday. He is playing so well. Jrue is definitely an All-Star starter at this point. Holiday is playing so well on both sides of the ball. The COVID stuff for the Bucks absolutely sucked, but it could have unlocked Holiday’s understanding of his importance with this basketball team.
Jrue Holiday over his last six games:
• 25.2 points
• 4.2 rebounds
• 7.8 assists
• 2.5 steals#NBAAllStar @Jrue_Holiday11 pic.twitter.com/d3jIpe7oqv— Dalton Sell (@sell_dalton) December 27, 2021
3. Don’t let the Magic get hot from three and think they have a chance – Orlando had 19 threes in the first game these two played and that game was close until the last few minutes. Magic aren’t that good from deep. They rank near the bottom in three-point percentage. Orlando has also not been shooting it well of late as well, so this should not be an issue for Milwaukee. But you never know when it’s the Bucks and opponent’s three-point shooting
BETTING LINES
Milwaukee is favored by 12.5 and the over/under is 215.5- 12.5 is a lot of points on the road and for a Magic team who has been covering a lot of late (3-1 ATS). This is a stay away for me despite Milwaukee’s ownership of Orlando. Under could be in play. Orlando hasn’t been scoring much but the trends don’t really match up there either. PICK: PASS
FUN FACT
This is the most amazing intro music of all time. From 1989 in Orlando
I feel that there is not enough appreciation of the original Orlando Magic theme song from 1989. Not from the fans, the team, the media. It’s mostly been erased from history. That changes today with this video I found of a live performance during the team’s first game. All-timer. pic.twitter.com/7vRAjJ0bnr
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) November 12, 2021
Charlie.