The Milwaukee Bucks get set to tangle against the New York Knicks Friday night as part of the NBA's in-season Tournament Group Play. They tip it off inside the Fiserv Forum at 7:30 p.m. The Bucks are a heavy favorite along with the streaking Boston Celtics to come out of the Eastern Conference. BetOnline has installed the Bucks as a six-point favorite. 

Milwaukee Bucks Betting Preview

The Bucks (2-2) have had an interesting start to the season as they have alternated wins and losses to get to an early mark of .500 on the season. They have a ton of talent and depth and they are more focused on the spring than they are now. They are led by perennial All-Star and MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo who is netting around 25 a game. 

Last season he erupted for 31 points per game and this season he has some help to take the offensive load off of his shoulders in veteran point guard Damian Lillard, who contributes 21.3 a game. This is his first season in Milwaukee after spending the first 11 years of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers. 

They connect on 48% from the floor, including a solid 37% from beyond the arc. Look for them to really push the pace against the Knicks, who have not been able to hit a ton of open looks this season. The Bucks have a very solid mark of 24-5 when they are playing as a moneyline favorite with odds of -250 or shorter last season. They seem to be a sound pick in this spot and very profitable. 

New York Knicks Betting Preview

The Knicks (2-3) are coming off a funny two-game set against the Cleveland Cavaliers. They defeated the Cavaliers on the road earlier in the week, 109-91, and then followed that up with a 95-89 home loss. 

RJ Barrett is the player to watch on the Knicks from an offensive standpoint. He is a solid playmaker and has really come into his own over the last season or two, as he is averaging 21 a game, but he did not play in Wednesday's loss to the Cavaliers. New York needs the 23-year-old to be on the floor as he is their primary ball handler and takes the pressure off their backcourt. 

New York is a team that needs to grind out some wins and they do not mind winning ugly low scoring games. They will have to slow down the pace against the Bucks, but they also need to take advantage of open looks and not be so reliant on shots from beyond the arc! 

Game Odds, Series Trends and Free Pick 

The Bucks are 2-2 in their last five games and 1-3 in their last five games against the spread. They are also 0-1 in their road games against the spread. The totals have gone over in three of their last four games and two of their last three at home. The Knicks are 2-3 in their last five games and 2-2 in their last five games against the number. They are also 2-1 in their road games against the spread and the totals have gone over in one of their last five games. The Knicks ranked 11 in scoring with around 116 agame last season, while the Bucks were ranked 14^th in points allowed per game (113.3).

Bucks have too many weapons and will push the pace in this one.