Cavaliers vs. Bucks Betting (Nov. 16): Slew of Injuries Leads to Low-Scoring Showdown

The 2022-23 NBA season rages on with a new slate of games for Wednesday, Nov. 16, including a showdown between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks. Both teams are among the best that the Eastern Conference has to offer, making this Cavaliers vs Bucks clash a must-see game.

Midweek in Milwaukee.

🕗 8:00PM ET
📺 @BallySportsCLE
📻 @wtam1100, @wmms, @Power891
@RocketMortgage | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/bs964jFYJo

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) November 16, 2022

After an impressive 8-1 run to start the campaign, it’s been nothing but losses for Cleveland lately. The Cavaliers have lost four games in a row ahead of Wednesday night, falling 129-124 to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night. Only time will tell if the extra days of rest will pay off.

While the Bucks haven’t as many games in a row, they have dropped three of their last four outings. That includes a 121-106 loss to the Atlanta Hawks just two nights ago, highlighted by Milwaukee leading in turnovers, 17-9, while also shooting just 20.7% from three-point range.

There’s a lot to take in before Wednesday’s Cavaliers vs Bucks game. Fortunately, Betting News has gathered the game’s odds while also having a prediction and best bet for tonight’s contest.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Milwaukee Bucks Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Cleveland Cavaliers (8-5, 4-4 Away) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (10-3, 7-1 Home)
• Venue & Location: Fiserv Forum (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
• Date: Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022
• Game Time: 8 p.m. Eastern Time
• Cavaliers vs Bucks Info: NBA League Pass, Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports Wisconsin

Cavaliers vs Bucks Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 10:13 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Cleveland Cavaliers +4 (-110)
• Milwaukee Bucks -4 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 219.5 Points (-110)
• Under 219.5 Points (-110)

Moneyline

• Cleveland Cavaliers +148
• Milwaukee Bucks -176

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Milwaukee Bucks Betting Trends

• Cleveland is 1-7 straight up in its last eight road games against Milwaukee.
• Milwaukee is 9-2 straight up in its last 11 games as the favorite.
• Cleveland is 1-4 against the spread (ATS) in its last five games.
• Milwaukee is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games played in November.
• The total has hit the under in five of Cleveland’s last seven games against Milwaukee.
• The total has hit the under in each of Milwaukee’s last seven games against the Central Division.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Milwaukee Bucks Prediction and Picks

Cavaliers vs Bucks Prediction: Cavaliers 109, Bucks 104

Cavaliers vs Bucks Picks: Cavaliers ML (Best Value: +148 at BetOnline) & Under 219.5 Points (Best Value: -110 at BetOnline)

As exciting as this matchup is, both sides will be operating at less than 100%. The Cavaliers and Bucks are each dealing with a lengthy injury that has already led to several key players being ruled out of the game.

Here’s a look at the injury reports heading into tonight’s game:

Cleveland Cavaliers

• Jarrett Allen (Ankle) — Out
• Dean Wade (Knee) — Doubtful
• Donovan Mitchell (Ankle) — Game-time Decision
• Dylan Windler (Ankle) — Out
• Ricky Rubio (Knee) — Out

Milwaukee Bucks

• Jrue Holiday (Ankle) — Out
• Pat Connaughton (Calf) — Out
• Grayson Allen (Ankle) — Doubtful
• A.J. Green (Nose) — Out
• Wesley Matthews (Hamstring) — Out
• Khris Middleton (Wrist) — Out
• Joe Ingles (Knee) — Out

Just by looking at the above names, it’s easy to see that it’s the Bucks who’ve been hit the hardest by the injury bug. Outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee doesn't have anyone else to rely on and as great as the ‘Greek Freak’ is, there’s only so much he can do by himself.

The Cavaliers’ backcourt also gives them an advantage on the road. Darius Garland just recorded the NBA’s first 50-point game of the season, dropping 51 points on 16-of-31 shooting (51.6%) against the Timberwolves on Sunday.

Even though he’s questionable, there’s also the chance that Mitchell does end up playing. He’s had the last four days to rest his ankle and it’d be a huge boon for Cleveland to get him back in the lineup as he’s been averaging a career-high 31.6 PPG this season.

With Holiday being ruled out, the Bucks will be without their top backcourt defender. On top of that, missing the likes of Connaughton, Matthews and Middleton will make it tough for Milwaukee to keep up offensively on the perimeter.

It’s also worth pointing out that the Cavaliers are 4-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last five games against the Bucks. Furthermore, Cleveland has also won each of its last three games against Milwaukee, winning each of those outings by an average of 21 points.

Taking all of the above into account, I’m going with the Cavaliers winning this one outright. They’ve had some solid success against the Bucks and with the latter missing so many key players, I just don’t see Milwaukee having the tools to get the job done.

In order to get the most value out of a Cavaliers win, I recommend taking them at +148 on the moneyline. I also recommend backing the total going under 219.5 points due to the massive injury list heading into tonight’s Cavaliers vs Bucks action.

Other NBA Stories on Betting News (Nov. 16)

• Warriors vs. Suns Betting (Nov. 16): Warriors End Road Woes