Wizards vs. Bucks Thursday NBA injury report, odds: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton out as spread drops 4 points; Bobby Portis gets DFS boost

We are at the point of the season where a playoff lock team will rest a star or two against a terrible opponent to keep said star healthy for the postseason and assuming it can still beat the opposition. That's essentially the case for the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night as they will sit their two best players, MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, against the visiting Washington Wizards. That dropped the spread from Bucks -13.5 to -9.5 currently at Caesars Sportsbook. Click here for model picks. 

Middleton (20.4 ppg) actually is dealing with a bit of an injury (wrist soreness) as he also missed Tuesday's blowout win over Chicago. Wesley Matthews started in his spot and had 11 points in 24 minutes. He will start again tonight.

The Bucks are giving Antetokounmpo (29.7 ppg, 11.6 rpg, 5.8 apg) the night off for the second time in three games due to a sore knee, but he was clearly fine Tuesday with 25 points and 17 rebounds vs. the Bulls. The Freak is +900 to win a third MVP Award, and he's not catching Joel Embiid (-150) or Nikola Jokic (+135). Milwaukee is 5-7 SU without Giannis this season.

Bobby Portis will start for him and probably be a popular DFS play. Portis is set at Over/Under 16.5 points at Caesars and -135 for a double-double. Portis has scored at least 20 points in each of his last three games, tying his career-long streak. He has one double-double in that stretch and missed one Tuesday by just a rebound.

I'm definitely not saying the Bucks will lose without those two tonight, but it would be potentially damaging if so because Milwaukee is tied for second in the East, just 1.5 games behind Miami – which is really slumping.

Washington is tied for 11th in the East but five games behind Atlanta, so it's basically over for the Wizards' playoff hopes. Kyle Kuzma (17.1 ppg, 8.5 rpg), who has had a breakout season, remains out tonight with right knee tendinitis. Kuzma has a career-high 24 double-doubles this season and his eight games with at least 25 points and 10 rebounds are the most in a season in his career, previously having six total over his first four years combined.

The Bucks have won nine of their last 10 games over the Wizards dating back to the 2018-19 season. Milwaukee is averaging 127.1 ppg against Washington over that span, the Bucks' second-highest against any team. Obviously, Giannis and Middleton are two big reasons for that. 

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