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Tennessee

Guide, odds, predictions and more

On Thursday night at FedEx Forum, the 1-3 Milwaukee Bucks will look to end their three-game losing streak against the struggling Memphis Grizzlies, who are 2-3 on the year.

The action begins at 7:00 p.m. CT on NBA TV, FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin, and can be heard locally on ESPN 92.9 FM and 680 AM. Fans from other states without NBA TV can tune in at any time via League Pass (where the game can be seen on both home and away broadcasts, as well as the NBA TV broadcast).

With so many of the Grizzlies’ wings injured, the Bucks actually have an advantage when it comes to getting a road win. According to gambling aggregator The Action Network, Milwaukee is projected to be -6.5 points favorite to win. All-NBA Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to be the competition’s leading scorer with an over/under of 28.5 points for the evening. All-Star point guard Damian Lillard’s over/under is 24.5 points per night.

Memphis will be without starting shooting guard Desmond Bane and starting small forward Marcus Smart as well as three key reserve players. All-Rookie Team forward GG Jackson II, swingman Luke Kennard and small forward Vince Williams Jr., as well as rookie shooting guard Cam Spencer are also not represented.

Read more: Latest update on Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart’s injuries

Look for the Bucks to take advantage of the Grizzlies’ health deficiencies and pull out a narrow win by covering the gap but coming within 10 points. Let’s call it a 110-101 Milwaukee win. Brave, capable and no one other than All-Stars Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo scored more than 12 points.

Bucks shooting guard Gary Trent Jr. may be getting more runs than he should. Heck, he may not be the cure for what ails Milwaukee as a starter. Trent is averaging 10.0 points per game on a mediocre .367/.375/.909 slash line, along with 1.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals over 33.5 minutes.

The swingman is generally a solid scorer, a poor defender and has proven to be a difficult pairing in the Bucks’ backcourt alongside defensive end Damian Lillard. Should Milwaukee’s wing defense cost the club a very winnable game on Thursday night, it might be time for Doc Rivers to shake things up and move either Delon Wright or another more defensive-minded wing into that two-defender starting spot.

More money: Milwaukee declines fourth-year option on former first-round pick

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