Nets vs. Bucks Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Thursday, Jan. 2

The Nets are 4-2 against the spread on the second night of a back-to-back this season.

The Nets are 4-2 against the spread on the second night of a back-to-back this season. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks erased a major deficit on New Year’s Eve against the Indiana Pacers to move to three games over .500 on the season.

On Thursday, they’ll play a much easier matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, who are fresh off of a 17-point loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.

Brooklyn has blown up its roster in recent weeks, trading away Dorian Finney-Smith to the Los Angeles Lakers and Dennis Schroder to the Golden State Warriors. While the Nets did get D’Angelo Russell back in the Finney-Smith deal, there’s a chance they make more moves to weaken their team and improve their draft position in the 2025 NBA Draft. 

This is the seventh time this season Brooklyn is playing the second night of a back-to-back,and it’s 4-2 against the spread so far in this spot.

Meanwhile, the Bucks are favored at home (5-8-1 against the spread in that spot) as they look to continue rolling with Giannis, Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton all healthy.

Let’s break down the odds, players to watch in the prop market and my prediction for Thursday’s contest. 

Nets vs. Bucks Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Spread

• Nets +14 (-108)
• Bucks -14 (-112)

Moneyline

• Nets: +600
• Bucks: -900

Total

• 219.5 (Over -108/Under -112)

Nets vs. Bucks How to Watch

• Date: Thursday, Jan. 2
• Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
• Venue: Fiserv Forum
• How to Watch (TV): Bally Sports Wisconsin, YES Network
• Nets record: 12-21
• Bucks record: 17-14

Nets vs. Bucks Injury Reports

Nets Injury Report

• Not submitted yet

Bucks Injury Report

• Giannis Antetokounmpo – probable
• AJ Green – questionable
• AJ Johnson – out
• Chris Livingston – out
• Liam Robbins – out
• Tyler Smith – out
• Khris Middleton – probable

Nets vs. Bucks Best NBA Prop Bets

Brooklyn Nets Best NBA Prop Bet

• Cameron Johnson OVER 2.5 3-Pointers Made (-154)

With Brooklyn in the midst of a fire sale, Cameron Johnson has seen his offensive role expand – especially since Cam Thomas went down with an injury.

In the 2024-25 season, Johnson is shooting 43.2 percent from 3-point range, averaging 3.2 made 3s per game on 7.4 attempts. He’s hit at least three shots from beyond the arc in seven of his last 10 games.

Milwaukee is a favorable matchup for Johnson, as the Bucks rank just 22nd in the NBA in opponent 3-pointers made per game and 18th in opponent 3-point percentage. 

Milwaukee Bucks Best NBA Prop Bet

• Khris Middleton OVER 14.5 Points (-105)

Khris Middleton missed the start of the season after offseason surgery on both of his ankles, but he has returned to the starting lineup over the last five games, playing more than 30 minutes for the first time in the 2024-25 campaign on Tuesday in a win over Indiana.

Over his last six games, Middleton is averaging 18.3 points per game, scoring at least 15 points in all five of his starts. He’s also attempted 13.6 shots per game as a starter, taking at least 11 in each one of those games. 

He’s undervalued at this number against a Brooklyn squad that ranks just 25th in the NBA in defensive rating. 

Nets vs. Bucks Prediction and Pick

Brooklyn actually hung tight with the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night before getting outscored by 14 in the fourth quarter to lose by 17. 

Now, it has a tough turnaround against Giannis and the Bucks, who are 1-1 against the spread when favored by double digits this season. 

While Brooklyn clearly has a talent deficit in this matchup, I think it could be an intriguing bet in the first half of this game. Overall, the Nets are an impressive 21-12 against the spread in the first half of games, and they’re set as 7.5-point underdogs in this matchup. 

The Bucks are 17-14-1 against the spread in the first half of games, but asking them to cover this many points is a tall task. Brooklyn has a first-half net rating of just -1.5 this season, good for 16th in the NBA. 

I’ll take the points early, as I don’t love either side with a spread this lopsided for the full game. 

Pick: Nets 1H +7.5 (-110)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.