Stinar For 3: Brooklyn Nets-Milwaukee Bucks Prediction

Fastbreak on FanNation reporter Ben Stinar sat down with publisher Tom Brew to talk about the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets ahead of their matchup in Episode 5 of our daily video on hot topics around the league.

The Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets will kick off the NBA season on Wednesday, October 19, and the Bucks will celebrate their NBA Championship from last season. 

The game is a rematch of the second-round series between the Bucks and Nets from last season (which the Bucks won in seven games). 

According to SISportsbook.com the Bucks are 1-point favorites for Wednesday's game. 

How does each team look heading into the season?

Both teams return most of their key-players from last season.

 However, the Milwaukee Bucks lost P.J. Tucker to the Miami Heat, and the Nets are dealing with Kyrie Irving being absent. 

Nets GM Sean Marks statement on Brooklyn's decision to sit Kyrie Irving until he fulfills NYC vaccination rules: pic.twitter.com/4LBIQXt7al

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 12, 2021

The Nets have a much bigger issue on their hands as Irving is a seven-time All-Star, and Tucker is a 36-year-old role player. 

PJ Tucker makes his @MiamiHEAT debut tonight in the LeBron 8 V/2 Low.

(h/t @NickDePaula) pic.twitter.com/eFl4ESDRIy

— Boardroom (@boardroom) October 5, 2021

The Nets do still have MVP's James Harden and Kevin Durant. 

However, the Bucks beat the Nets in the playoffs last season when Irving was out for Game 7, and it was Durant and Harden running the show.  

Prediction?

The betting line shows that these teams are pretty evenly matched especially with Irving being out and the Bucks being on their home floor. 

The home-crowd will likely be very involved as the Bucks celebrate their first championship in over 50 years. 

If Irving was playing in the game, the Nets would be the no-brainer choice, but his absence and the hostile environment they will be in makes this game much more of a toss up. 

The Nets will need to stay locked in defensively, and either Harden or Durant (or both) will need to have a big game of 30+ points. 

Meanwhile, as long as the Bucks play their brand of basketball (good defense, attack the basket etc.), they will win this game by much more than 1-point. 

They will also want to start their title defense on a good note. 

Prediction: Bucks to win by 7

Watch all of the previous "Stinar For 3'' podcasts

• STINAR FOR 3 (Episode 4): Three NBA teams to make the playoffs that didn't last season. CLICK HERE.
• STINAR FOR 3 (Episode 3): What's the status of Kyrie Irving? CLICK HERE.
• STINAR FOR 3 (Episode 2): Can the Milwaukee Bucks repeat? CLICK HERE.
• STINAR FOR 3 (Episode 1): The Ben Simmons drama. CLICK HERE.