Outkick Bets: Betting Grizzlies/Bucks

Tonight we gather to our television sets and cellular device screens for a premier matchup of Ja and Giannis. The other members of the team are somewhat important, but the superstars are going to be out tonight in Milwaukee and the Bucks are -6.5.

The big key tonight is Jrue Holiday. Does he play? He is listed as questionable tonight and without him, the Bucks suffer. They have lost four of their last six games (all without him) and on the season they are just 4-9 without their point guard. In contrast, with him Milwaukee is 23-9. In his place, they have used Wesley Matthews but he is nowhere near the offensive threat that Holiday is. Holiday averages 18.4 points per game while Matthews has 14 in his last three games combined.

It doesn't help that the supporting staff is slumping hard in the absence of Holiday. George Hill has scored 13 in the last three games combined, Donte DiVincenzo has 19 in the last four games total, Pat Connaughton has 19 in the last four games (notice a trend?) and that means it's all been on the back of Giannis to shoulder the load.

The Grizzlies are 9-1 ATS in their last ten games. Also, during that stretch, they find themselves 4-0 ATS as the underdog and 4-0 ATS on the road. Ja has averaged 21.9 points per game in those last ten games and that includes a game in which he didn't play (24.3ppg adjusted for my silliness).

I have ONE reservation. Just one. Milwaukee, for whatever reason, has won the two games against their most difficult opponents without Jrue in this stretch and won those games by double-digits. It's odd. But, if Jrue remains out of this game, I am 100% on board the Grizzlies +6.5.