Bucks News: Milwaukee Given Surprisingly Good Odds to Win NBA Cup

The Milwaukee Bucks sit amongst the top 10 favorites to win the 2024 NBA Cup despite horrid start to the season.

Apr 3, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers and forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) looks on in the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks will kick off their quest for their first NBA Cup on Tuesday when they take on the Toronto Raptors. The Bucks will host the Raptors for their first NBA Cup game of the season. 

Milwaukee missed out on the cup last year, and this year, the mission is to be the last team standing. Although the Bucks haven't had the strongest start to the season, they still have highly favorable odds of hoisting the NBA Cup. 

According to FanDuel, the Bucks have the 10th-best odds of winning the 2024 NAB Cup. 

Milwaukee holds +1900 odds to win the trophy. 

Despite their 2-8 start to the season, oddsmakers believe the Bucks are in the thick of things. They hold better odds to win the cup than the Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, and Phoenix Suns, to name a few, despite all those teams having better records than them. 

Nonetheless, the beauty of the NBA Cup is that anything can happen. Last season, the Lakers and Pacers went on a hot streak and competed for the trophy and $500,000 per player. 

Talk about motivation. 

The Bucks have not been the team that many expected them to be thus far. They cannot defend to save their lives; injuries have already hampered them, and there is chatter throughout that Giannis Antetokounmpo's days in Milwaukee are numbered. 

That's all speculation at the moment, but if things continue to trend that way, it could eventually become a reality. The Bucks are far from the team they want to be at, and the numbers indicate that. 

They are mediocre or in the bottom half in both offensive and defensive stats. Milwaukee ranks 21st in points in the paint per game, 20th in opponent points per game, 27th in assists per game, 13th in opponents' total rebounds per game, and 21st in total rebounds per game. 

The Bucks cannot defend and don't dominate in the paint despite having the personnel to do so. 

The good news is that there is still plenty of time to turn their season around, starting with this NBA Cup. The Bucks are in East Group B with the Raptors, Miami Heat, Pacers, and the Detroit Pistons. 

Group play games will be played on Tuesdays and Fridays from Tuesday until Dec. 6.

If the Bucks are lucky enough, they will play in the quarterfinal games on Dec. 10 and 11. The semifinals and championship will be in Las Vegas on Dec. 14 and Dec. 17. 

More Bucks: History Might Be On Bucks' Side Despite Horrible Start to Season