Atlanta Hawks vs Milwaukee Bucks Prediction: Bucks to succeed away

Milwaukee lost two preseason games to Atlanta in Dubai, but has already managed to get revenge at home in the regular season. Will the Bucks be able to repeat their success on the road?

With Bogdan Bogdanovic still in the infirmary, Atlanta is sometimes lacking in roster depth, and the coach is slowly giving more playing time to the youngsters. Rookie AJ Griffin looked good on offense even before the draft and he's looking good in the NBA as well. Onyeka Okongwu is among the league's best shooting guards, and he's even more important offensively than Clint Capela right now. John Collins started the season well, but now his stats have slipped and he is only 4th in the Hawks in scoring average (12.8 points per game). Trae Young is playing with the ball a lot and his 38% shooting from the field is a bit alarming, although the Atlanta leader makes up for it quite well by hitting nearly 10 free throws per game. Young is currently out with health concerns and is questionable for the game against Milwaukee.

Last game, Nate McMillan's team defeated New Orleans 124-121 in overtime. Trae Young and Dejounte Murray combined on just 18-of-49 shots from the field, especially from beyond the arc. One of the biggest stars of the game was Capela, who not only scored 21 points on 10 of 15 shooting attempts but also made 4 blocked shots. The win over the Pelicans was Atlanta's sixth in nine games this season, and the Hawks are now in fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

The Bucks are off to the best start in the club's history, winning all 9 regular season games, and one of Milwaukee's leaders, Khris Middleton, has not played a single game this season yet. First of all, the Bucks are good on their side of the ball, with four of their players in the top 10 of the NBA Defensive Rating. Grayson Allen and Brook Lopez are the top two, with Giannis Antetokounmpo at No. 5 and Jevon Carter at No. 9. Such rankings are subjective, but overall it says a lot about the team's play.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, averaging 32.6 points, is second only to Luka Doncic in average scoring, and of course the Greek forward is the primary creator of Bucks success. Jrue Holiday is slowly getting into a rhythm and is adding 8 assists to his 20 points, while Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis have become the 3rd and 4th offensive options.

Antetokounmpo did not play in the recent game against Oklahoma, but Milwaukee still won comfortably, 108-94. The Bucks' backups scored a combined 42 points and Grayson Allen made 5 three-pointers to become the second-leading scorer on the team. Jrue Holiday paced the offense with 13 assists and Brook Lopez made 10 of 16 shots from the field for a game-high 25 points.

Trae Young is Atlanta's main engine, and a lot will depend on him in this game, including his effectiveness. Without Young, the Hawks' offense could slow down, something that defensive leader Milwaukee is sure to take advantage of. The teams scored roughly 40% of their three-pointers each in last face-off, though neither team has been outstanding on the season as a whole. Our prediction for the Atlanta-Milwaukee game is as follows:

• TU (226.5) for 1.90;
• H2 (-2.5) for 1.72;
• W2 by 21+ Points for 7.00.

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