The Milwaukee Bucks are a franchise on the precipice. They were struggling to support superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo when he was on the court, and without him, they’ve been downright awful.
Tonight, they’ll host a Toronto Raptors team dealing with its own set of injuries, but look much closer to pulling themselves out of their slump than Milwaukee does.
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My Raptors vs. Bucks predictions and NBA picks break down tonight’s Eastern Conference matchup.
Raptors vs Bucks prediction
Raptors vs Bucks best bet: Immanuel Quickley Over 16.5 points (-115)
No matter what you think of this Milwaukee Bucks situation, Giannis Antetokounmpo won’t be on the court when they host the Toronto Raptors tonight.
Things have been so bad for the Bucks that the Raptors are 5.5-point road favorites in this matchup, and that’s despite Toronto going through its own struggles. The Raptors have been in a slump since RJ Barrett went down with a knee injury.
Now, the Raps are starting to play a little better, coming off a 106-96 win over the Heat, but that’s the only time they’ve covered the spread in their last nine games. Still, what the Raptors have is firepower against a shaky Bucks defense.
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That has me looking at the point total for Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley. IQ got off to a slow start this season, but he’s started to find his rhythm lately. He is averaging 19.1 points per game while shooting 41.2% from 3-point range over his last seven games.
He’ll face a Bucks team that ranks 24th in defensive rating and ranks 21st in opponent 3-point attempts and makes per game. His point total sits at 16.5, a number he’s gone Over in four of his last seven games.
Raptors vs Bucks same-game parlay
The other thing the Bucks have really struggled with is cleaning the glass. They rank next-to-last in the NBA in rebounding rate, and that’s with one of the NBA’s best rebounders for half of their games.
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So, without Giannis, Scottie Barnes shouldn’t face much resistance on the boards. Barnes averages 7.9 rebounds per game, and his rebounding prop sits at 8.5, a number he’s gone Over in six of his last 10 games.
While both of these teams are struggling, the Raptors are in a better position and have more depth at the moment. They’ve had trouble covering spreads, but I think they pull out the win.
Raptors vs Bucks SGP
Immanuel Quickley Over 16.5 points
Scottie Barnes Over 8.5 rebounds
Our “from downtown” SGP: Barnes on the boards
For our longshot, let’s bump the Raptors moneyline to them covering the spread and taking another Raps player in Jamal Shead to go Over their rebounding total.
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Raptors vs Bucks SGP
Immanuel Quickley Over 16.5 points
Scottie Barnes Over 8.5 rebounds
Jamal Shead Over 2.5 rebounds
Raptors vs Bucks odds
Spread: Raptors -5 | Bucks +5
Moneyline: Raptors -200 | Bucks +165
Over/Under: Over 219.5 | Under 219.5
Raptors vs Bucks betting trend to know
The Bucks have only covered the first-half spread in 22 of their last 60 games for a -20.70 units and a -30% ROI. Find more NBA betting trends for Raptors vs. Bucks.
How to watch Raptors vs Bucks
Location
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
Date
Thursday, December 18, 2025
Tip-off
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
TSN, FDSN Wisconsin
Raptors vs Bucks latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here