
The Miami Heat (21-21) will continue to deal with the Jimmy Butler saga on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET at Fiserv Forum when they meet the Milwaukee Bucks (25-17).
Butler missed his flight to Milwaukee, causing the team to suspend him for two games and killing their chances of an NBA championship. The Heat have lost four of their last five games, dropping to ninth place in the Eastern Conference, and are 7.5-point underdogs in Milwaukee.
Read our Heat vs Bucks predictions and player betting odds ahead of Thursday's battle on TNT.
Predictions for Heat vs Bucks matchup
Confidence on a scale of 1 to 5 stars; odds at our top NBA betting sites.
Game selection: Bucks to win (-265 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Kel'el Ware player betting pick: Over 9.5 rebounds (+100 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Kel'el Ware player prop pick: Will score a double-double (+125 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Andre Jackson player prop pick: Over 1.5 assists (+165 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Player betting odds for Heat vs Bucks tonight
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Best predictions for the Heat vs. Bucks game
Kel'el Ware prop pick: Over 9.5 rebounds ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Miami rookie center Kel'el Ware entered Tuesday's game in the starting lineup alongside Bam Adebayo and scored 20 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in 39 minutes. He has played 73 minutes over the last two games, averaging 22.5 points and 12.5 rebounds.
While Ware's high rebounding rate may indicate that the market has corrected itself, this line still has an edge against the Bucks. Milwaukee ranks 30th in the league in offensive rebounds, so I'm predicting Ware to grab 10 rebounds on Thursday.
Weir has grabbed double-digit rebounds in three of his last five games. Take the +100 odds on him at BetMGM to back his recent form.
Best odds: +100 via BetMGM | Odds: 50%
Kel'el Weir's prop pick: Will score a double-double ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Another way to bet on Weir grabbing 10+ rebounds against Milwaukee is to take his price for a double-double. At Caesars, the odds on this bet are only +115, but bet365's +125 price tag provides a $12.50 payout on a $10 bet.
Ware's points odds are 15.5, so he's likely to score in double figures. He has taken 36 shots over the last two games, which suggests Miami wants to feed him.
These kinds of forfeits don't last long on our top sports betting sites, so I'd recommend playing at least one of these plus odds on Ware.
Best odds: +125 via bet365 | Estimated probability: 44.44%
Andre Jackson - Prop Pick: More than 1.5 assists ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Second-year guard Andre Jackson played 20 minutes for Milwaukee in Sunday's 123-109 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. It was the most minutes he's played all month, but I could see an increase in playing time if the Bucks take on Philadelphia as a 7.5-point favorite.
Jackson has contributed multiple assists in two straight games. He has done so four times this month, three of which have come in 15 or more minutes of play. I'm predicting he'll flirt with two rebounds in this matchup, which means the +165 price tag should be closer to +130.
Best odds: +165 via bet365 | Estimated probability: 37.74%.
Follow the latest odds! Odds are updated in real time.
Heat vs Bucks Matchup Info
When: Thursday, January 23
Kickoff: 7:30 PM ET
Where: Fiserv Forum (Milwaukee)
How to watch: TNT
Favorite: Bucks -7.5 (-102 via BetMGM)