Houston Rockets vs. Milwaukee Bucks: 3 Best Bets

The Houston Rockets travel to Wisconsin to take on the Milwaukee Bucks and a red-hot Giannis Antetokounmpo, and we have the three best bets from SI Sportsbook.

The Houston Rockets are currently on a five-game win streak but will face a tough opponent tonight as they travel to the Midwest to take on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. Only one of Houston’s last five wins can be considered a “statement win.” They beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in Houston and took on the lowly Spurs and Grizzlies twice. They did manage to beat the Denver Nuggets on the road for the first win away from home so far this season.

Beating the Bucks will be an equally impressive task. They have won three games in a row and their superstar forward is averaging a 39-point double-double in that span. Damian Lillard is still one of the league’s best volume shooters, so Houston will have a very tough matchup.

Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) shoots as Memphis Grizzlies center Bismack Biyombo (18) defends during the second half at FedExForum / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

To make matters worse, Milwaukee has an empty injury report while Houston is battling illnesses. Jae’Sean Tate, Amen Thompson, and Tari Eason are all questionable while Victor Oladipo remains out.

Before tipoff, take a look at our three best bets, powered by the lines at SI Sportsbook.

The Lines

Point spread: Bucks -7.5 (-105)/Rockets +7.5 (-118)

Moneyline: Bucks (-300)/Rockets (+225)

Over/under: 230.5

Our Picks

Safe pick: Alperen Sengun UNDER 17.5 points (-110)

Sacrilege, I know! During Houston’s current win streak, Alperen Sengun is only averaging 15.4 points and has not been an efficient scorer. On top of that, Giannis is one of the NBA’s best defenders everywhere on the floor, so Sengun will not get any look as long as the Greek Freak is anywhere nearby. That being said, a bonus bet we think is a good value is Sengun OVER 4.5 assists (-110). He is a very crafty offensive player, so if he can’t get a bucket of his own he can easily set up his teammates on the perimeter.

Opponent pick: Giannis Antetokounmpo OVER 31.5 points (-133)

There really isn’t anyone in the league who can stop Giannis, and recently, he’s been on fire. In the last 19 games, he has scored fewer than 30 points only five times. Even though Houston has the third-best interior defense in the league, Giannis’s physicality is an entirely different challenge, and he will have his way with the Rockets.

Dillon Brooks Says Desmond Bane's Troll was 'Friendly Competition'

Team pick: UNDER 230.5 points (-110)

Houston now has the NBA’s best defense, allowing only 105.1 points per game. While Giannis will probably have an excellent game, the rest of the Bucks will have a tough time getting shots up. The Bucks allow 119.2 points per game, 23rd in the league, but boast the league’s second-best offense. Houston’s offense is the fourth-worst in the league, so neither team is expected to put up big numbers. Betting the under is certainly the no-fun pick, but it’s the best value in this game.