The Milwaukee Bucks will host the Houston Rockets on Monday night in cross-conference clash. Milwaukee is 4-9 on the season and is currently 12th in the Eastern Conference standings, while Houston is 10-4 and is third in the West. The two franchises have split their last four head-to-head meetings both straight up and against the spread, but the Rockets are 9-5 against the spread this season while the Bucks are only 4-8-1.

Tipoff from the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee is set for 8 p.m. ET. The SportsLine consensus lists Milwaukee as the 3.5-point favorite in the latest Bucks vs. Rockets odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 224.5. Before making any Rockets vs. Bucks picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past six-plus seasons. The model enters Week 5 of the 2024-25 NBA season on a sizzling 109-74 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning more than $3,000. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen huge returns.

The model has set its sights on Bucks vs. Rockets and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Rockets vs. Bucks:

  • Bucks vs. Rockets spread: Milwaukee -3.5
  • Bucks vs. Rockets over/under: 224.5 points
  • Bucks vs. Rockets money line: Milwaukee -159, Houston +135
  • Bucks vs. Rockets picks: See picks at SportsLine
  • Bucks vs. Rockets streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)

Why the Bucks can cover

After winning 49 games last year and finishing third in the East, the Bucks were eliminated in the first round by the Pacers, and the hangover effect appears to be impacting their 2024-25 season. However, Milwaukee has won two of its last three games, and Giannis Antetokounmpo had the ball in his hands with a chance to win against the Hornets on Saturday but missed an 18-foot jumper with 2.0 seconds remaining.

Antetokounmpo had 22 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists for his first triple-double of the season in the loss and is now averaging 32.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists. He's had to carry a heavier load of late with Damian Lillard missing the last three games in concussion protocol, but Lillard is listed as probable to return for Monday's contest. See which team to pick here.

Why the Rockets can cover

After improving from 22 wins in 2022-23 to 41 wins in 2023-24, the Rockets look poised to take another step forward in the Western Conference this season. They've won five games in a row and are coming off a dominant 143-107 win over the Bulls on Sunday.

Fred VanVleet had 28 points to lead all scorers, and Alperen Sengun had a triple-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Houston had seven players reach double-figures and has seven players on the roster who are averaging double-figures scoring on the season. See which team to pick here.

How to make Bucks vs. Rockets picks

The model has simulated Rockets vs. Bucks 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning under on the point total, and it also says one side of the spread hits over 50% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Bucks vs. Rockets, and which side of the spread hits over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Rockets vs. Bucks spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 109-74 roll on top-rated NBA picks since last season, and find out.