Milwaukee Bucks vs Sacramento Kings: Prediction and Betting Tips | March 12, 2024

The Milwaukee Bucks visit the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, with tipoff at 10 p.m. ET. This will be the second and final game of their season series, with the Bucks winning 143-142 on Jan. 14, and is included in the NBA's seven-game slate.

The Bucks, 42-23, are second in the East, coming off their third straight road game, a 124-117 win over the LA Clippers on Sunday. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard combined for 69 points, 14 rebounds and 21 assists.

Meanwhile, the Kings, 36-27, are seventh in the West, dropping their previous contest 112-104 to the Houston Rockets at home on Sunday. Domantas Sabonis had 25 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists.

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Sacramento Kings prediction, preview, starting lineups and betting tips

The game between the Bucks and Kings will be aired locally on NBCSCA and Bally Sports WI for home and away coverage, respectively.

It will also be available for live-streaming on NBA League Pass and Fubo TV, which gives viewers access to NBA TV for a week's worth of free trial.

Spread: Bucks -2.5 vs. Kings +2.5

Moneyline: Bucks -136 vs. Kings +120

Total over and under: Bucks O 236.5 vs. Kings U 237

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Sacramento Kings preview

The Bucks rank seventh in field-goal percentage, hitting 49.1% of their shots. However, their performance at the free-throw line leaves much to be desired; they stand 19th in the league with 77.2% free-throw shooting.

This is particularly disappointing given that Milwaukee is second in the league in free throws attempted per game, at 25.1, and fourth in free throws made, with an average of 19.4. This discrepancy suggests the team is missing a significant opportunity to capitalize on their chances at the line.

The team's victory on Sunday broke a two-game losing streak. The upcoming matchup against Sacramento marks the conclusion of a four-game road trip, during which the Bucks have maintained a road record of 17-16.

The Sacramento Kings have found themselves struggling in several key areas this season.

Despite ranking 10th in field-goal percentage at 40.4%, the team's performance at the free-throw line leaves much to be desired, as they languish at the bottom of the league with a 73.6% success rate.

Defensively, challenges persist, with the Kings allowing opponents a 40.9% field-goal shooting, positioning them 23rd in the league. Moreover, their difficulties extend to preventing efficient scoring from the line, where they rank 29th as opponents enjoy an 81.0% free-throw percentage.

The Kings have won two of their previous three contests, three of their last five and lost four of their last seven games.

The Kings have experienced mixed results in their recent outings, securing victories in two of their last three games and winning three out of their last five.

However, their performance over the last seven games has been less consistent, with the team facing defeat in four of those matchups.

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Sacramento Kings starting lineups, substitutions and rotations

The Bucks will start Damian Lillard at PG, Malik Beasley at SG, Khris Middleton at SF, Giannis Antetokounmpo at PF and Brook Lopez at center.

Meanwhile, the Kings will start De'Aaron Fox at PG, Kevin Huerter at SG, Harrison Barnes at SF, Keegan Murray at PF and Domantas Sabonis at center.

In the past three games, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard have led the team in minutes played, averaging 37.0 and 36.3 minutes, respectively.

Following them, Malik Beasley has also seen significant playing time, averaging 35.0 minutes, while Brook Lopez has contributed with an average of 30.3 minutes per game.

Bobby Portis has emerged as the primary bench contributor in terms of minutes played, primarily substituting for Giannis Antetokounmpo initially and then for Brook Lopez.

Portis's playing time is strategically distributed, with his minutes predominantly allocated around the latter half of the first and third quarters, in addition to the beginnings of the second and fourth quarters.

Jae Crowder's minutes will reduce with Khris Middleton potentially making his return.

The Sacramento Kings have been heavily reliant on Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox for their on-court production, with Sabonis leading the team with an average of 38.7 minutes played and Fox following closely at 36.0 minutes.

Murray steps in as the next most-utilized player, averaging 31.3 minutes, while Malik Monk stands out as the top contributor off the bench with an average of 29.7 minutes.

Davion Mitchell primarily takes over for De'Aaron Fox towards the second half of the first quarter and continues through the first half of the second quarter.

Meanwhile, Malik Monk is the key substitute for Kevin Huerter, with his primary minutes coming in the latter half of the first and third quarters.

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Sacramento Kings betting tips

Giannis Antetokounmpo has averaged 30.8 points, 11.2 rebounds and 6.5 assists with 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks. His steal prop is set at over/under 1.5 and is favored to cross or reach this mark at +180.

Damian Lillard has averaged 24.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists, with 1.0 steals and 0.2 blocks. His block prop is set at over/under 0.5 blocks and is favored to cross or reach this mark at +260.

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Sacramento Kings predictions

The Bucks are favored to win despite playing on the road, according to sportsbooks and betting lines. They are favored with a -2.5 point spread and -135 on the moneyline.

The Kings are expected to go under the point mark set at 237, while the Bucks are anticipated to cross the over mark at 236.5.