The New York Knicks are looking to rebound from a brutal loss on Tuesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but they’ll take on a surging Milwaukee Bucks team on Friday night.
Milwaukee has won eight of its last 10 games, including a victory over a short-handed Cavs team on Wednesday.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) remains out of the lineup for Milwaukee, but Ryan Rollins and company have put the team back in the mix for a play-in spot in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks are just five games under .500 and are within a couple games of a play-in spot with 25 games to play.
Oddsmakers have set Milwaukee as a home underdogs in this matchup with Giannis out. Milwaukee and New York split their first two meetings in the 2025-26 season, with the Knicks losing in their first trip to Fiserv Forum.
New York is just 14-14 straight up on the road and it’s one of the worst teams against the spread (10-18) away from Madison Square Garden this season. Can Jalen Brunson and company turn that around against the short-handed Bucks?
Let’s take a look at the odds, my favorite player prop and a prediction for this Eastern Conference showdown.
Knicks vs. Bucks Odds, Spread and Total
Spread
- Knicks -8 (-110)
- Bucks +8 (-110)
Moneyline
Total
- 220.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
Knicks vs. Bucks How to Watch
- Date: Friday, Feb. 27
- Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
- Venue: Fiserv Forum
- How to Watch (TV): MSG, FanDuel Sports Network (Local)
- Knicks record: 37-22
- Bucks record: 26-31
Knicks vs. Bucks Injury Reports
Knicks Injury Report
- Pacome Dadiet – out
- Kevin McCullar Jr. – out
- Miles McBride – out
- Dillon Jones – out
Bucks Injury Report
- Cormac Ryan – out
- Alex Antetokounmpo – out
- Taurean Prince – out
- Giannis Antetokounmpo – out
Knicks vs. Bucks Best NBA Prop Bets
Note: These player prop picks were made before odds were released and are based on past player performance.
Knicks Best NBA Prop Bet
- Jalen Brunson OVER Points
In recent seasons, Brunson has dominated the Bucks, scoring at least 36 points in eight of his last 10 meetings with them. Brunson has 36 and 37-point games against Milwaukee this season, shooting a combined 26-for-46 from the field.
So, I’m trusting the All-Star guard to bounce back from a poor shooting performance in Tuesday’s loss to Cleveland.
Brunson enters this game averaging 26.7 points per game while shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from 3. He’s taking 20.3 shots per game, which gives him a terrific floor when it comes to any scoring prop. The Bucks are allowing nearly 26 points per game to opposing point guards this season, so it would not shock me if Brunson scored 30-plus for the ninth time in 11 games against Milwaukee.
Knicks vs. Bucks Prediction and Pick
Even though I’m expecting a big game from Brunson, the Knicks are impossible to trust on the road in the 2025-26 season.
New York has covered in just 10 of 28 games, and it has a net rating of just 1.2 in those games. In the 2025-26 season, the Knicks are third in offensive rating, 11th in defensive rating and sixth in net rating, but all of those numbers fall on the road. They are just 10th in offensive rating, 15th in defensive rating and 13th in net rating as a road team.
The Bucks have done a solid job over their last 10 games to get back into the play-in mix, and they’re 9-7 overall as home dogs this season, posting an average scoring margin of -1.3 points in those games.
Even with Giannis out, I think Milwaukee will be able to hang around with this Knicks team that has struggled a bit out of the All-Star break. New York is just 20th in net rating since the break.
Pick: Bucks +8(-110 at FanDuel)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Find Peter Dewey’s NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.
Claim the FanDuel Sportsbook promo code offer to win $100 in bonus bets. Simply sign up, deposit $5, and place a $5 wager. If you win your bet, you will receive $300 in bonus bets within 72 hours