Orlando Magic vs Milwaukee Bucks: Picks, Predictions, Odds and Player Props

Tuesday marks the start of the NBA Cup knockout stage, as the league's best continue to battle to capture the 2024/25 in-season tournament championship.

Tuesday's quarterfinals features a couple of compelling matchups, including the Orlando Magic facing off against the Milwaukee Bucks in what could be a playoff preview in the Eastern Conference.

Let's get into our expert's best Orlando Magic vs. Milwaukee Bucks betting picks and predictions.

Orlando Magic vs. Milwaukee Bucks betting picks and predictions

Milwaukee Bucks -6.5 (-110)

These teams have been trending in the opposite direction, but it's largely not due to their play on the court. In fact, the Magic would easily be the more formidable team in this matchup if they weren't dealt a brutal hand in terms of injury luck. 

Milwaukee recently welcomed back Khris Middleton into its starting lineup, which was a massive boost for a team that desperately needed consistent scoring on the wings. Middleton has been ramping up through the first couple of games following his return, and we can expect him to make more of an impact in this pivotal NBA Cup elimination game. 

On the other side, the Magic have already been without budding superstar Paolo Banchero for multiple games at this point, but Orlando has still been finding ways to win in his absence, in large part thanks to Franz Wagner. The German forward had been averaging over 28 points per game on nearly 50% from the field over the past 10 contests, before suffering a torn oblique in a loss to the 76ers last Friday. 

This is obviously a crushing blow for an Orlando team that was looking to establish itself as a contender in the Eastern Conference this season. But with Banchero and Wagner now sidelined for an extended period of time, things look pretty bleak for the upstart Magic. 

As for the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to play at an MVP level, as he's helped Milwaukee slowly climb up the Eastern Conference standings following a disastrous start to the season. The Bucks are now one of the favorites to take home the NBA Cup, and with wins in eight of their last 10 games, it's easy to see why. 

Not only should Orlando's offense struggle in this one, but the Magic defense has also struggled mightily this season against top-tier offenses, posting a 1-5 record when facing teams with offenses ranked in the top 10 in most efficiency metrics. Our expert is looking to back Milwaukee -6.5 (-110) in what is a terrible spot for Orlando, so let's lay the points with the Bucks on Tuesday. 

Under 215.5 (-110)

While an over game script would traditionally go hand-in-hand with a Bucks cover in this spot, our expert is of the opinion that we'll see a bit less scoring than usual in this one. 

There just aren't many avenues for the Magic to succeed on offense in this one. After all, Orlando is missing its two best shot creators in this game, and it's hard to expect the rest of the supporting cast to pick up the slack against a high-level opponent. 

Orlando's defense has still been one of the better units in the league without Banchero, and I'd expect that the Magic will approach this game with a high level of intensity and effort on that end of the court. With that said, it's hard to see an offense that is 23rd in adjusted offensive rating have much success against a Milwaukee defense that is now up to 14th in adjusted defensive rating on the rise, and continues to rise through the ranks with each passing week. 

There is a real possibility for the Bucks to win and cover the number in this game while still going under the total of 215.5, and that is the only way our expert can look in this matchup.

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Orlando Magic vs. Milwaukee Bucks odds

Orlando Magic	+240 ML
Milwaukee Bucks	-300 ML
Spread	MIL -6.5
Total Points	O/U 215.5

Orlando Magic vs. Milwaukee Bucks player props

Giannis Antetokounmpo	O/U 30.5
Damian Lillard	O/U 24.5
Khris Middleton	O/U 11.5
Jalen Suggs	O/U 20.5
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope	O/U 10.5
Wendell Carter Jr.	O/U 10.5
Bobby Portis	O/U 10.5
Moritz Wagner	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.