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The Milwaukee Bucks hit the road Thursday night looking for an immediate response after getting run off their own floor by Minnesota. Now they walk into San Antonio against a Spurs team that has dropped two straight but has been far more consistent on both ends over the last month. Milwaukee’s issues in the loss were effort and connectivity. Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t mince words afterward, and the Bucks have to clean up transition defense and live-ball turnovers if they want to keep this from turning into another track meet. San Antonio is favored at home, with the market leaning toward the Spurs’ defense and Milwaukee’s volatility night-to-night. The Bucks’ ceiling is still obvious when their half-court offense is organized and

Winnipeg rolls into Saint Paul on a heater, riding a three-game win streak and a scoring surge that’s been more “push pace and punish mistakes” than finesse. Minnesota, meanwhile, is in that annoying stretch where the looks are there but the finish isn’t. They’ve dropped four of the last five and need to stop the skid before this homestand ends. From a betting standpoint, the market is asking a simple question: do you lay a home favorite price with a Wild team that’s been leaking results, or do you grab the plus-money Jets while acknowledging their blue line is banged up? With the total at 5.5 and the over juiced, books are also expecting chances. These are the current betting

The Lakers finally snapped their skid with a statement shooting night, and now they try to stack offense again when the Hornets come to town Thursday. Los Angeles just drilled threes at an unsustainable clip in its last outing, but the bigger takeaway is the energy and pace shift after a flat performance the night before. Charlotte hasn’t been perfect, but it has been competitive. The Hornets have lived in one-possession finishes lately, and that matters when you’re catching points against a team that can swing from ice-cold to nuclear based on shot variance. This handicap is about script. If the Lakers’ ball movement and spacing look like Tuesday again, they’ll score enough to win. If they revert to stagnant

Portland gets Atlanta at home on Thursday night, but the handicap starts with availability. Deni Avdija is doubtful again, and the Blazers are still trying to get Jrue Holiday back to full rhythm after the long calf absence. If Avdija sits, Portland’s offense is easier to steer. The creation and free-throw pressure drop, and the Blazers are more likely to trade quality possessions for turnovers and late-clock shots. Atlanta is coming off a defensive mess, so this is a response spot. If the Hawks show up more connected and more physical, they have a clean path to control the game as a road favorite, especially if Portland is missing its top scorer. Shop the number and monitor movement on the