The Bucks have been solid against the number this season and have historically given the Spurs a tough time. Take the points and Milwaukee on the road in San Antonio.
The Milwaukee Bucks have covered 66 percent of their games this season, tied for the second-best spread mark of all NBA teams. A big reason for this has been hard-nosed coach Scott Skiles. The Bucks have improved their defense, upgraded their depth and gotten tougher mentally under Skiles.
Now the Bucks face the Spurs in San Antonio. The Spurs are a team the Bucks respect, but do not fear. Milwaukee plays San Antonio with a tremendous amount of confidence.
The Bucks actually have defeated the Spurs in 11 of the past 19 meetings, including 82-78 at home on Nov. 19. The Spurs were without Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in that matchup, but Milwaukee also was missing Michael Redd. The Bucks are 11-5-1 against the spread in their last 17 road games. Bucks assistant coach Kelvin Sampson knows the Spurs well, having worked briefly for them as an assistant last season.
The Bucks' confidence is up having won five times during their past seven games. San Antonio is 2-5-1 against the spread in its last eight games. The Bucks should be able to stay within this number and once again bring home the money. This is a one-unit play for me.
Free Pick: Bucks +8½ (-110)