Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks: Picks, Predictions, Odds and Player Props

The NBA Cup is down to just four teams, and the semifinals are set to tip off on Saturday in Las Vegas.

From the Western Conference it’s down to the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder and in the Eastern Conference only the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks remain.

The Hawks and Bucks will tip off at 4:30 PM ET on Saturday, and the Bucks have been tabbed as 3.5-point favorites.

Let’s preview this semifinal matchup with our expert’s best bets to lock in before tip.

Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks betting picks and predictions

Bucks -3.5 (-110)

The Bucks had a nightmare start to the season.

Milwaukee won just two of their first 10 games and rumors began swirling about trading Giannis Antetokounmpo if the team continued to struggle. However, the Bucks turned it around quickly.

Since their loss to the Celtics in early November, the Bucks have won 11 of their last 14 games. The return of Khris Middleton has been a huge boost for the offense and the duo of Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard looks back on track.

The Bucks swept their group stage games against the Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, and Detroit Pistons which pinned them against the Orlando Magic in the quarterfinals.

A 37-point game from Giannis and a 28-point effort from Lillard lifted the Bucks over the Magic 114-109 to secure a spot in the semis.

Fortunately for the Bucks, that game against the Magic was on Tuesday night, which means they’ve had an extended rest in Las Vegas waiting for the Hawks. Between the break and a healthy lineup, the Bucks are going to be extremely hard to beat.

The surprise of the NBA Cup has been the Hawks. Atlanta was in a group with the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, which put them at an immediate disadvantage.

But, in a shocking twist, the Hawks beat both the Celtics and Cavs and won the group. Their quarterfinal matchup took them to New York to face the Knicks, where there is some history between Trae Young and the Madison Square Garden crowd.

It was a back-and-forth game for most of the second half before the Hawks pulled away late in the 4th quarter and secured an 8-point victory over the Knicks.

The Hawks will continue to be underdogs in the Semifinals when they take on the Bucks and I’m not sure Atlanta’s luck will carry on. Their defense remains the biggest problem as they rank 18th in defensive rating this season and have allowed at least 130 points in two of their last three games.

The Hawks have trouble limiting forwards in the paint and just recently they allowed 48 points to Nikola Jokic and 38 points to Anthony Davis.

This seems like a favorable matchup for Giannis, so back the Bucks by the small spread.

Over 230.5 Total Points (-110)

Only one team has been more profitable on the Over than the Hawks this season.

Seventeen of Atlanta’s 26 games have gone over the total which is 65.4 percent of their games. Only the Nuggets have a higher percentage at 68.2 percent.

It makes a lot of sense to see high-scoring games with the Hawks because they have a solid offense and a lackluster defense.

Between Young, Jalen Johnson, De'Andre Hunter, Dyson Daniels, and Bogdan Bogdanovic, the Hawks have plenty of scoring options.

That’s led to them scoring the eighth most points per game in 2024.

But, with that said, defense has been a big problem. The Hawks have allowed 119.1 points per game, which is the 3rd highest mark in the league.

Between below-average paint defense and mediocre perimeter defense aside from Daniels, the Hawks allow a lot of points.

These teams faced each other in Milwaukee less than two weeks ago and they combined to score 233 points.

Plus, that was with both teams shooting below 45 percent from the field and the Bucks making just 65.7 percent of their free throws.

Both teams left a lot of points on the court, which makes me believe that 230 points is the floor for these two offenses. Offense should be the priority in this game, so expect another high-scoring affair and back the Over.

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Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks odds

Atlanta Hawks	+145 ML
Milwaukee Bucks	-170 ML
Spread	MIL Bucks -3.5
Total Points	O/U 230.5

Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks player props

Player Points

Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL Bucks)	O/U 32.5
Damian Lillard (MIL Bucks)	O/U 24.5
Trae Young (ATL Hawks)	O/U 20.5
Jalen Johnson (ATL Hawks)	O/U 18.5
Bobby Portis (MIL Bucks)	O/U 13.5
Dyson Daniels (ATL Hawks)	O/U 11.5

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.