Ride The Cavs as an Underdog on Black Friday vs. Bucks

What: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Milwaukee Bucks
Date: Friday, November 25th
Location: Fiserv Forum
Time: 8 PM ET
How to Watch: BSOH, BSWI

Black Friday is a huge tradition across the United States and it's also a jam-packed day for NBA betting. In one of the most intriguing matchups of the lot, two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference meet as the Cleveland Cavaliers (12-6) visit the Milwaukee Bucks (12-5) at Fiserv Forum. The Cavs are currently enjoying a four-game winning streak after a lengthy losing skid, most recently taking down the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday evening. The Bucks meanwhile are just 5-5 in their last 10 contests and lost to DeMar DeRozan's Chicago Bulls mid-week. Keep reading for the Cavaliers vs Bucks picks.

Before we get into the odds, preview, and prediction, take a look at our tips for betting on NBA games and how to bet on NBA futures.

Cavaliers vs Bucks Odds

Cleveland Cavaliers	+2.5 (-110)	TBD	Ov 215.5 (-113)
Milwaukee Bucks	-2.5 (-110)	TBD	Un 215.5 (-107)

The Bucks are a 2.5-point home favorite on Black Friday. However, they're just 1-5 ATS in their last six outings. The Cavs are only 3-5-1 ATS in their previous nine, but Cleveland is 4-1 SU in their last five appearances. Milwaukee got the better of their East foes earlier in the campaign, but the Cavaliers did win three in row prior to that.

Cavs Opening Eyes

The Cavs went out and acquired Donovan Mitchell to give them a true star this past offseason and needless to say, he's been the perfect fit with this young core. The former Utah Jazz guard is playing at an MVP level, posting averages of 30.1 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per night while shooting 42% from downtown. Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen are all doing their part too, giving Cleveland one of the best starting lineups in the entire Association. Cleveland ranks top-five in both offensive and defensive rating while sitting in eighth in PPG. They're for real.

JB Bickerstaff's squad came out Wednesday and took it right to the Blazers. Mitchell went off for 34 points, while Garland had 24 points and 12 assists. Allen added 24 and 13 boards as well. The Cavs shot a sharp 55% from the field and 44% from three-point land, simply overwhelming Portland. The visit to Milwaukee is the beginning of a three-game road trip for the Cavs, heading to Detroit and Toronto after.

Bucks Looking Like a Title Contender

Lots of analysts had the Bucks penciled in as a legitimate title contender in 2023. Frankly, if Khris Middleton didn't get hurt in the 2022 playoffs, they would've gone much further. The most impressive part about Milwaukee's start is that Middleton still hasn't played due to injury, yet they're thriving. Giannis Antetokounmpo is arguably the most dominant player in the entire league and an absolute handful for any opposition. Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, and others are important pieces to the puzzle. And once Middleton returns, it's going to be scary hours.

The Bucks are making their living on the defensive end of the floor, ranking 1st in that category and just 21st in offensive rating. Giannis is averaging 30.5 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per night, while four other are putting up double-figures in points. Wednesday's loss to Chicago was actually just their second defeat at home in 2022-23, truly playing great basketball in front of their home fans. Turnovers were the unfortunate storyline for Milwaukee though, committing 20 of them. That resulted in 17 points for the Bulls. The Greek Freak erupted for 36 points, 11 rebounds, and seven dimes, while Lopez compiled 20.

Cavaliers vs Bucks Picks

What I'm focusing on here is Milwaukee's brutal ATS record as of late. Plus, Cleveland is absolutely thriving at the moment. I'm a big believer in the Cavs and I think they get it done on Black Friday and hand the Bucks another loss.

Cleveland Cavaliers To cover vs. Bucks