The Milwaukee Bucks picked up an ATS win over the Miami Heat earlier in the season, and they'll get a chance to do it again on Saturday night as those teams hit the hardwood in NBA betting action at the sportsbooks.

Miami topped Milwaukee 113-106 at home in their first meeting of the year on November 21 but didn't manage to cover the 9.5-point spread on the NBA lines in that contest. Each of the last three Heat/Bucks matchups have been OVER results for totals bettors.

(Note: follow us on Twitter for line updates and injuries news). The Bucks are 15-12 so far on the season, and 13-13-1 ATS vs. the number. The Heat, meanwhile, are 20-7 and 15-12 ATS. OVER/UNDER bettors have seen Milwaukee go 12-15 and the Heat go 13-14 on the totals.



View Miami vs Milwaukee Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Milwaukee opened as 4.5-point underdogs at online sportsbook Sportsbook, while the NBA total was sitting around 197.5 at Sportsbook for those who prefer OVER/UNDER betting.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The power rankings show a disparity between these teams, with the Bucks rated this week at No. 17 and the Heat sitting at No. 9. It may or may not play a role in Odds Shark score prediction models that turned out a 104-97 result in favor of the Heat today.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Milwaukee's No. 20-ranked offense (95.6 PPG) against a Heat defense that ranks No. 17 at 97.6 PPG. The Bucks have averaged 43% from the field per game, less than the Heat have managed so far this season (49.6% on average).

Defensively, the Heat feature the league's No. 16-rated defense on the road, giving up 99.6 points per game. Milwaukee, meanwhile, comes in at No. 22 in the league in scoring at home.

In their last action, Miami was a 109-99 loser on the road against the Pistons. They failed to cover the 6-point spread as favorites, while the combined score (208) was profitable news for OVER bettors. Miami got 35 points from LeBron James en route to a 109-99 loss at the hands of Miami on Friday at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

In their last action, Milwaukee was a 108-93 Sportsbook at home against the Nets. They covered the 5-point spread as favorites, while the combined score (201) was profitable news for OVER bettors. The Nets were burned for 25 points by Brandon Jennings on Wednesday as the Bucks picked up a 108-93 win at Bradley Center.


Miami Heat Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 7-3
Before playing Orlando are 6-4
After playing Detroit are 6-4
After a loss are 7-3

Milwaukee Bucks Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 2-8
Before playing Detroit are 5-5
After playing Brooklyn are 6-4
After a win are 4-6

A few Heat at Bucks trends to consider:
Miami is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Miami is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Miami's last 19 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Miami's last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Milwaukee's last 19 games when playing at home against Miami
Milwaukee is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 7 games when playing Miami
Milwaukee is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games


Next up:
Miami at Orlando, Monday, December 31
Milwaukee at Detroit, Sunday, December 30