Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee), Khris Middleton (knee) out vs. Heat

Milwaukee Bucks forwards Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) and Khris Middleton (knee) are out for Thursday night’s road game versus the Miami Heat.

Grayson Allen (ankle) and Joe Ingles (rest) have also been downgraded to out. To add to the list, Serge Ibaka (personal) remains out indefinitely. This game will air live at 7:30 p.m. ET on Bally Sports Sun.

Referring to multiple NBA betting sites, the Bucks have the second-best odds to win the championship. Sportsbooks show the Boston Celtics as the top favorite. Can the Brooklyn Nets make their first NBA Finals appearance since 2003?

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Grayson Allen, Khris Middleton, Serge Ibaka and Joe Ingles all out tonight for Bucks.

— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) January 12, 2023

Through 35 starts this season, Antetokounmpo is averaging career highs of 31 points and 20.8 field goal attempts per game, along with 11.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists. Plus, he’s shooting 52.4% from the field.

On Jan. 3, in the Bucks’ 123-113 win over the Washington Wizards, the Greek Freak recorded a career-best 55 points in 37 minutes of action. He finished 20-of-33 (60.6%) shooting from the floor and 15-of-16 (93.8%) at the foul line.

Bucks forwards Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee), Khris Middleton (knee) are out against Heat on Thursday

As for Khris Middleton, the three-time All-Star has appeared in just seven of Milwaukee’s 41 games this season. He’s averaging 11.1 points, 2.6 boards, and 4.4 assists per contest.

Meanwhile, for Miami’s injury report, guards Tyler Herro (Achilles), Kyle Lowry (knee), Caleb Martin (quad), and Dewayne Dedmon (suspension) are out versus the Bucks.

Udonis Haslem (Achilles) is listed as questionable. Bam Adebayo (wrist) was upgraded to probable. Moreover, Omer Yurtseven (ankle), Nikola Jokic (back), and Duncan Robinson (finger) remain out indefinitely.

#MILvsMIA INJURY UPDATE: Tyler Herro (Achilles), Kyle Lowry (knee) & Caleb Martin (quad) have all been ruled out of tomorrow night’s game vs the Bucks.

Bam Adebayo (wrist) is listed as probable.

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) January 11, 2023

Heading into this first matchup of the season series, the Heat are 6-4 in their last 10 games. Miami is 1-2 against Milwaukee in its past three meetings. Since both teams are missing quite a few starters, this is a more even matchup.

However, Jimmy Butler is the wild card factor for Miami. If he has a decent performance, the Heat could earn their 23rd win of the season. So far, the Bucks are 11-9 away, 23-9 as favorites, and 27-14 overall.

As for the Heat, they’re 12-9 at home, 3-9 as underdogs, and 22-20 overall. Sportsbooks have not yet released the betting lines for this intraconference contest.

According to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, based on Milwaukee’s updated injury report, the odds and percentages have shifted. On Wednesday night, the Bucks opened with a 55.1% chance of defeating Miami. Now, the Heat have a 58.8% probability of winning tonight. Bear in mind, Miami ranks dead last in scoring this season, averaging 108.8 points per game.