Thursday night, the Milwaukee Bucks clash against the New Orleans Pelicans inside the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA. They tip it off at 8 pm. The Bucks have an outside shot at catching the Boston Celtics for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, but it is a very long shot. 

Bookmaker has installed the Bucks as a slim - 1.5 point favorite. 

The Bucks have put forth a solid season, and they feel they have the talent and makeup to not only compete in the East but also defeat the Celtics in a seven-game series. Those two might be on a collision course, but first, they need to focus on the Pelicans. 

Milwaukee is led by the face of the franchise, a force in power forward, and veteran Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has played like an MVP but might not be ready to go in this one. He is listed as probable due to a hamstring issue, and if he can not go, the Bucks lose about 30 points a game. Point guard Damian Lillard has proven to be a big-time scoring threat, averaging close to 24 points per game while hauling down 4.4 rebounds with 7.1 assists.

Lillard again looks like a young player, with an extra bounce in his step. They have a decent bench, too, and guys are always ready to step up and contribute when called upon and pressed into action. The Bucks connected on a solid 57% from the floor, including 37% from beyond the arc. 

The Pelicans have been a good team of late, winning nine out of their last 12 overall. They sit 16 games over .500 on the season and are trying to position themselves for a better playoff spot in the Western Conference. 

They sit in the fifth spot overall but lead the Southwest division by one game over the veteran and surging Dallas Mavericks. New Orleans has gotten more than they could have hoped from forward Zion Williamson, who has stayed relatively healthy and engaged on the floor. 

The 23-year-old budding star is averaging 22 points a game and has shown he can be the face of the franchise in the future. There were some questions about his conditioning and commitment, but he has played very well for them. Brandon Ingram has been a great piece to their offensive puzzle, averaging 20.9 points per game.

These two have put forth some inspiring play for a team that needed it coming into the season. 

The Pelicans are 3-2 in their last five games and 2-3 in their previous five games against the number. They are a solid 20-16 in their road games against the spread. The totals have gone over in two out of their last five games. The totals have gone over in 16 out of their last 34 games at home. The Bucks are 3-2 in their previous five games and 3-2 in their last five games against the spread. The Bucks are 15-20 in their road games against the spread.