Bucks vs Hornets

The Milwaukee Bucks look for their third straight win when they take on the Charlotte Hornets Friday night at Fiserv Forum.

Seems every year Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo hits the free throw wall. [Milwaukee blows big lead but Grayson Allen hits game-winner in OT to beat Raptors](https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2023/01/04/milwaukee-bucks-vs-toronto-raptors-game-score-at-scotiabank-arena-january-4-2023/69776971007/) [The top single-game scoring performances in Bucks history](https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nba/bucks/2023/01/04/the-biggest-single-game-milwaukee-bucks-scoring-performances/69777754007/)

Ian Black: Bucks 116, Hornets 104. Charlotte has struggled against great teams lately, as evidenced by the blowout at the hands of the Grizzlies on ...

The Bucks are a tough matchup defensively, and Charlotte is missing a lot of firepower at the moment. I’m predicting this to be as tough as the Memphis game, Charlotte’s confidence seems to be at an all-time low and it feels like they’re beginning to let go of the rope. Giannis is having another MVP-level season and the Hornets simply have no one to guard him.

The Charlotte Hornets will try to reverse their losing ways as they make the trip to Milwaukee on Friday to kick off the weekend in a bout with the Bucks.

Alas, the Bucks should have plenty of firepower to cover on their home floor. In fact, Portis most recently had a solid double-double against the Raptors with 14 points on 12 rebounds and could have his way in the paint yet again against a shorter Hornets squad. In their overtime triumph over Toronto, the Bucks’ dominant paint play was clearly a major factor in their ability to secure the victory, but their three-point shooting was often spotty and has been rather inconsistent for the better part of the first half of the season thus far. After surrendering a whopping 131 points in the loss to Memphis, Charlotte must get some stops down the stretch to have any chance in this one. As a whole, Charlotte is allowing teams to score nearly 119 PPG which currently serves as the third-worst mark in the NBA. Alas, someone will need to step up in a big way while Oubre remains out, so look no further than Rozier to continue to fill up the stat sheet later this evening.

Analyzing Friday's Charlotte Hornets at Milwaukee Bucks odds and lines, with NBA expert picks, predictions and best bets.

[List Wire](https://thelistwire.usatoday.com/) [Rookie Wire](https://therookiewire.usatoday.com/) [LeBron Wire](https://lebronwire.usatoday.com/) [Warriors Wire](https://warriorswire.usatoday.com/) [Thunder Wire](https://okcthunderwire.usatoday.com/) [Sixers Wire](https://sixerswire.usatoday.com/) [Rockets Wire](https://rocketswire.usatoday.com/) [Nets Wire](https://netswire.usatoday.com/) [Celtics Wire](https://celticswire.usatoday.com/) [Bulls Wire](https://bullswire.usatoday.com/) Please [gamble responsibly](https://sportsbookwire.usatoday.com/bet-and-wager-101-responsible-gaming-and-gambling/). [Pick’em Challenge](https://dailyticket.usatoday.com/) and win!

Terry Rozier scored a season-high 39 points and the Hornets matched an NBA record with 51 in the first quarter of a 138-109 rout of the Bucks on Friday ...

Washington](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4278078/pj-washington) had 23 for the Hornets, whose 10-29 record entering the game was tied for worst in the NBA. [LaMelo Ball](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4432816/lamelo-ball) added 24 points and [P.J. [Bobby Portis](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3064482/bobby-portis) had 19 points and 12 rebounds in his sixth consecutive double-double for the Bucks, who have lost six of nine. [Giannis Antetokounmpo](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3032977/giannis-antetokounmpo), who entered the contest third in the league in scoring at 32.7 points per game, had a season-low nine in 22 minutes. Charlotte led 51-28 after the first quarter and pushed the lead to 84-60 at halftime, hitting 14 of 30 3-pointers. It also was a franchise record for most points in any period.