Washington vs Milwaukee: the Bucks to make up for the loss

The reigning champions Milwaukee Bucks are off to a weak start to the new season as Mike Budenholzer's team lost five of nine games. The next game will bring the Stags to play away against Washington. Will they be able to improve their stats? Let’s pick a few options to bet on at once.

The Wizards are so good at the start of the season that one can't help but wonder who benefited from trading Russell Westbrook to the Lakers. At least the players who transferred to Washington from Los Angeles fit in quickly and well. Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are in the starting five, while Montrezl Harrell comes off the bench for the most part but logs over 30 minutes per game.

This trio, plus Spencer Dinwiddie, who came to life after leaving Brooklyn, helps Brady Beal in the race for Most Efficient Player. Beal is attacking from the game nearly twice as much as his teammates and is scoring 23.9 points per game, which is largely a factor in his successful start to the season. Wes Unseld's team has 6 wins in 9 games.

The previous game saw Washington handle Memphis 115-87 at home. Harrell scored 18 points; Beal had 17 points and Daniel Gafford had 15.

The explanation for Milwaukee's struggles is trivial.

It’s injuries and illnesses to key players. While the Bucks had to make do without Brook Lopez, who was injured in the very first games, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday were also out. It's strange to think that the loss of major stars shouldn't have had a negative impact on the team's results.

Approaching the game against Washington, the Bucks lost to the New York Knicks 98-111. Moreover, Mike Budenholzer's team lost their lead in the course of the game by 20 points. In fact, this game showed just how much potential the Milwaukee team has. Now they have to wait for the leaders and get ready for the second title in a row.

• Washington: Cassius Winston, Davis Bertans, Anthony Gill, Thomas Bryant – out;
• Milwaukee: Donte Divincenzo, Brook Lopez, Khris Middleton – out.

The last season saw the Bucks beat the Wizards 3 times.

Jrue Holiday played limited minutes against the Knicks. It is likely that he will play even more in Washington. In fact, even with Holiday “restricted”, the Bucks literally tore up the Knicks in the first half. But they failed in the second half, as coach Tom Thibodeau found something to answer with his new season wide rotation. Will the Wizards’ coach Unseld find something to show if his team misses the same 20-point spurt? More likely no than yes. Milwaukee has a great chance to win in Washington. If Mike Budenholzer's team approaches the game focused, they won't have a problem.

Prediction: Milwaukee will win.

Betting options:

• Handicap Milwaukee (-2.5) for 1.81;
• Milwaukee To Win + Total Over (221.5) for 3.10;
• Milwaukee To Win By 6-10 points for 5.50.