The reeling and struggling Brooklyn Nets clash against the surging Milwaukee Bucks Thursday night inside Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI. They tip it off at 8:00 pm. 

Bookmaker has installed the Bucks as a heavy -9-point favorite. 

The Bucks are one of the top teams in the league and one of the heavy favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference, but the team to beat will be their rival Boston Celtics, who are the top dog in the conference. 

Milwaukee believes they have a shot at getting out of the conference and making a run into the NBA Finals as long as the face of the franchise, Giannis Antetokounmpo, is battling a hamstring injury. His status for the game is up in the air. He has played brilliantly this season and is leading the team in scoring with a monster average of 30 points per game to go along with 11 boards per contest.

The offense centers around him and looks for the guards to get the ball in his hands early and often. He can play with his back facing the basket, which has proven to be a match-up nightmare. They also rely on veteran guard Damian Lillard, who has shown that he can be a big-time scorer and playmaker with the ball in his hands. 

He is contributing 24 points per game and has given the Bucks an added dimension on the floor, which takes pressure off the big man.

The Nets (26-43) can not wait for the season to end, as this has been one of the worst in franchise history. They have been tagged with brutal injuries and a ton of inconsistent play from players that they were counting on. Ben Simmons is a schell on himself, and at this point, the franchise needs to chalk it up to a loss. 

Brooklyn has dropped four straight and six of seven games overall and now sits almost 20 games under .500. They have no shot at making the playoffs this season. Cam Thomas is their best player right now, and he is averaging just over 20 points a game to lead the club. Mikal Bridges has played well and is contributing 20 points per game as well. The Nets can build around him and hopefully give him some talent to help him. 

The Nets connected on 52% from the floor while drilling 37% from beyond the arc. 

The Bucks are 3-2 in their last five games and 3-2 in their previous five games against the number. They are 14-20 in their road games against the spread too. The totals have gone over in three out of their last five games. The totals have gone over in 19 of the Bucks' 34 last games at home. The Nets are 1-4 in their previous five games and 1-4 in their last five games against the number too. They are also 11-23 in their road games against the spread. The totals have gone over in three of the Nets' last five games.