The Milwaukee Bucks are coming off a stunning NBA Cup victory over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night to advance to the knockout rounds next week.

Now the Bucks have a tough matchup against a playful Atlanta Hawks team that has some really nice young talent in Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels who should make things difficult for the Milwaukee offense.

Atlanta beat the Cleveland Cavaliers twice last week before defeating the New Orleans Pelicans by 12 points on Monday night.

This game could be closer than some would expect – even if the Bucks have been playing better lately – depending on who plays for Milwaukee for the second night in a row.

Here’s a breakdown of the odds, best side bets and my prediction for this game on December 4th.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

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Hawks injury report

Bucks injury report

The best Atlanta Hawks NBA prop bets

Hawks youngster Jalen Johnson is quickly becoming one of the NBA’s best young forwards and is off to a great start to the 2024-25 season.

The former first-round pick is averaging 20.0 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game while shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 36.7 in the 2024-25 season Percentage from 3 balls shoots.

He has put up 18.5 points in six straight games and in 14 of his 21 total games this season. Johnson’s effort has also been consistent, as he has taken at least 14 shots in nine of his last 10 contests.

That number makes him a solid bet against a Bucks team playing for the second night in a row.

Milwaukee Bucks Best NBA Prop Bets

Could we see a closer game on Wednesday night that allows Giannis to surpass his point mark?

The two-time MVP had 28 points on 10 of 11 shooting against Detroit on Tuesday, but he didn’t play a minute in the fourth quarter – and played just 27:40 overall – as Milwaukee was well ahead at the top of a back-to-back.

Now the Bucks are just four points home favorites in this game, which could help Giannis stay on the field in a closer game. Atlanta should give the Bucks plenty of possession as it ranks second in the NBA in pace and has a weaker defense that ranks 20th in defensive rating and 27th in opponent points per game.

Giannis enters this game averaging 32.7 points per game and has scored 32.5 points in eight of his 18 games this season.

The Bucks are currently on fire, having won seven straight games and nine of their last 10 games to move up to 5th place in the Eastern Conference.

Antetokounmpo was the driving force along the way and played at an MVP level all season long.

However, there are a few trends that are concerning for the Bucks in this matchup.

First, Milwaukee is just 4-5-1 against competition at home as a favorite this season, and for the second night in a row the team really struggled, posting the NBA’s worst ATS record at 0-3-1.

On the other hand, Atlanta, as an underdog, is 4-2 against the team and has already picked up surprise wins against the Cleveland Cavaliers (twice) and the Boston Celtics this season.

There’s a chance the Bucks could sit players out on the second night of a back-to-back game, so I’m happy to take the Hawks with that number before the Bucks release their official injury report on Wednesday.

Selection: Hawks +4 (-108)

Odds are updated regularly and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Deweys NBA betting record here (Futures included). You can also follow my daily pieces on BetStamp here.