Milwaukee Bucks vs Indiana Pacers Preview
This Eastern Conference first-round series between the Pacers and Bucks is set to get underway at 7:00 PM ET at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. TNT is carrying game one on TV, and the Pacers are slightly favored on the road, with the over/under line sitting at 231.5 points. Indiana is -120 on the money line compared to the Bucks at -101. The Pacers are favored by 1.5 points.
Check out BetCoco for Milwaukee Bucks – Indiana Pacers odds
Milwaukee Bucks vs Indiana Pacers Head-to-Head and Key Stats
The last five times that the Bucks have hosted the Pacers, they have an above .500 record at 3-2. The over/under record in the five most recent head to head games between the Pacers and Bucks is 3-2 with an average of 253 points per game. The last three times that the Pacers have been on the road vs. the Bucks, the over/under record is 3-2.
- Across the Pacers last ten road games, the team averaged 122 points per game while allowing 118. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 6-4, while going 6-4 straight-up.
- Across their five previous home games, Milwaukee has an ATS mark of 1-4. Their straight up record in these matchups was 1-4 while averaging 106 points per game.
- Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Bucks have gone 3-2 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 2-3.
- Through their last five games as the favorite, the Pacers have an ATS record of 3-2 and a straight up mark of 4-1.
Milwaukee Bucks vs Indiana Pacers Prediction
Indiana is favored by 1.5 points today and has gone 26-17 as the favorite this season. As the favorite, they have an ATS record of 21-22 and have covered the spread in their last two games.
In the Eastern Conference standings, the Pacers are currently in 6th place with a record of 47-35. Within the Central Division, they are in 3rd place with a record of 11-6.
On the road, the Pacers have a record of 21-20 and are 16th in the NBA. Their straight-up road record is 22-18, and they have an ATS record of 22-18 on the road.
Indiana’s O/U record for the season is 43-39, and the over has hit in their last five games. This year, their games have averaged 243.5 points per game, and today’s O/U line is set at 231.5.
In their last game, the Pacers defeated the Hawks by a score of 157-115. The O/U line for that game was 242 points, and Indiana covered the spread as 14-point favorites.
Indiana is the NBA’s top-scoring team this season, at 123.3 points per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 121 points per contest. In terms of field goal percentage, the Pacers are the league leaders, hitting 50% of their shots. They are also the top team in two-point field goal percentage, at 58%.
Myles Turner has been playing well for the Pacers of late, averaging 20.4 points per game in his last five games. This has come while hitting 60.7% of his shots from the field. Over this stretch, T.J. McConnell has put up 17.6 points per game on a shooting percentage of 64.1%. Tyrese Haliburton is averaging 10.9 assists per game for the season and 20.1 points per contest.
Currently, the Pacers’ defense holds the 27th rank in the NBA, allowing 120.2 points per game. The Pacers defense is coming off a game in which they held the Hawks offense to just 65% shooting. Overall, they gave up 115 points to Atlanta.
Today, the Bucks will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak as they host the Pacers. The Bucks are currently the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 49-33.
As the underdog, the Bucks have gone 4-11 straight-up and 6-9 against the spread. Their ATS record as the underdog is 6-9 and they have lost their last two games vs. the spread as the underdog.
In their last game, the Bucks were defeated by the Magic by a score of 113-88. The O/U line for that game was 215.5, and the Bucks were 5.5-point underdogs going into the game.
This season, the Bucks have gone 41-41 on the over/under, and 44 of their games have had higher O/U lines than today’s line of 231.5. On average, their games have finished with 235.3 points.
Against the spread, the Bucks are 35-47 this season, including a 19-23 record at home. Their average scoring margin at home is +6.3 points per game.
Milwaukee comes into the game as the 4th best scoring team in the league at 119 points per game. They have been even better at home, averaging 121.2 points per contest on their home floor. The Bucks are also near the top of the league in pace, averaging 99.9 possessions per game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to miss the game with a calf injury. The Bucks will be missing his 30.4 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. Bobby Portis has been playing well of late, averaging 18 points over his last five games on a shooting percentage of 62.9%. Over his last five games, Brook Lopez is averaging 2.4 made threes per game.
The Bucks’ defense is presently ranked 21st in the league, allowing an average of 116.4 points per contest. The Milwaukee defense has allowed opponents to shoot 35.5% from beyond the arc this season. Opposing teams are also hitting 47.1% of their field goal attempts vs. Milwaukee.
Our projections indicate that the Pacers should come out top with a projected score of 113-110.
Milwaukee Bucks vs Indiana Pacers Betting Tips
- Take the Pacers on the moneyline
- The Pacers should also cover at -1.5
- Our NBA model projects 223 points, and we suggest taking the under
Milwaukee Bucks Injury Report
- Giannis Antetokounmpo – Calf – Doubtful
Indiana Pacers Injury Report
- Bennedict Mathurin – Shoulder – Out
