Bucks vs. Suns NBA injury report, odds, spread: Jrue Holiday out in COVID protocols, Chris Paul questionable Wednesday in Phoenix

The Milwaukee Bucks mortgaged the future in terms of first-round draft picks to acquire former New Orleans Pelicans All-Star guard Jrue Holiday this offseason from the New Orleans Pelicans, but the Bucks will be without Holiday for a while after he reportedly tested positive for COVID-19. Milwaukee continues a road trip in Phoenix on Wednesday, and the Suns might have future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul back in the lineup as he's questionable. The Bucks are 4.5-point favorites on the William Hill Sportsbook NBA odds. Check out the SportsLine Projection Model's surprising simulation for this game. 

Milwaukee has won a season-high five straight (5-0 against the spread) and the first three on its six-game road trip. Holiday was ruled out a few hours ahead of Monday's game in Denver with teammate Khris Middleton saying that Holiday tested positive for the virus. The Bucks were able to beat a good Nuggets team 125-112 with Bryn Forbes starting in Holiday's place. Forbes had 15 points and five rebounds in 26 minutes.

Holiday isn't with the team and is out indefinitely as it obviously depends on how the virus affects him and he would need several negative tests to be cleared. Holiday is averaging 16.2 points, 5.3 assists and 4.9 rebounds while playing his usual terrific defense. The former two-time All-NBA Defensive Team honoree is fourth in the league in steals at 1.91 per game.

The Bucks have scored 120 or more points in all five games during their current winning streak, which ties the franchise record for consecutive 120-point games (also done late in the 2018-19 season). Milwaukee is outscoring opponents by 20.8 points in that stretch, with all five wins by double digits. William Hill still favors the Nets (+140) to win the Eastern Conference over the Bucks (+300).

Phoenix won for the third consecutive game and sixth in the past seven on Monday, 119-113 over visiting Cleveland. That was the second of a back-to-back so probably helps explain why Paul sat, although it was technically called due to a hamstring injury. The first official NBA injury report update is at 1:30 p.m. ET and we may know Paul's status for Wednesday then.

It was the first missed game of the season for the 35-year-old Paul, who is averaging 16.4 points, 8.2 assists and 4.6 rebounds and leads the NBA in free-throw shooting at 97.0 percent. He has 19,189 career points, needing 14 to pass Eddie Johnson (19,202) and move into 56th on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

If Paul can't go, E'Twaun Moore likely would start again. He was very good vs. Cleveland, hitting 7-for-10 for a season-high 17 points in a season-high 40 minutes. Phoenix on Monday also didn't have forwards Abdel Nader (ankle), Jae Crowder (foot) and Dario Saric (ankle), along with backup point guard Cameron Payne (foot) on Monday. All have missed multiple games and are questionable Wednesday.

The Suns are 4-0 against East teams at home this season and their past two at home vs. the Bucks, who are 1-4 against the spread in their past five vs. Phoenix.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and it returned over $5,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks last season. The model is also up more than $8,300 on top-rated NBA picks over the past two-plus seasons. Dating back to last season, it enters Week 8 of the 2020-21 NBA schedule on a stunning 79-46 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread. Anybody who has followed it has seen HUGE returns.