It’s the team with the NBA’s best record, the Milwaukee Bucks, visiting a team in a free-fall, the Indiana Pacers, on Wednesday night on national TV in the final game for both before the All-Star break. Let’s see how the NBA betting odds will be for the Bucks vs Pacers.
Bucks vs Pacers 2020 NBA Betting Lines & Game Preview
- When: Wednesday, 7:30 PM ET
- Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse
- TV: ESPN
- NBA Odds: Milwaukee Bucks -2 / Total 221
Bucks vs Pacers Season Series
The Bucks have won four straight regular season matchups vs. the Pacers, including the first two this season by an average of 23.5 points per game. They last played Dec. 22 in Milwaukee and the Bucks rolled 117-89. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 18 points, 19 rebounds and nine assists. Donte DiVincenzo made a layup to give Milwaukee a 56-55 advantage with 53 seconds left in the first half, and the Bucks never trailed again. Milwaukee outscored Indiana 58-34 in the second half and had a 48-34 advantage in points in the paint. Domantas Sabonis had 19 points and 18 rebounds for Indiana, which also has lost its past two at home in this series.
Why Bet on Milwaukee?
The NBA-best Bucks won a fifth in a row Monday, 123-111 over the Kings even though Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the game to be with his wife, who gave birth to the couple’s first child. It’s though he will play here but that would obviously affect the spread either way.
The 25-year-old is averaging career highs in points (30.0) and rebounds (13.5) while shooting 54.9% from the field and leading the Bucks to a league-best record. He already is on pace to become the first player since Moses Malone in 1982 to average 30 points and 13 rebounds per game in a single season.
Milwaukee outscored Sacramento 35-21 in the fourth. The Bucks are 4-0 without Antetokounmpo on the season with a league-best 46-7 record. Only seven teams in NBA history have won 46 of their first 53 games.
Eric Bledsoe scored 28 points in Monday’s win, adding eight rebounds and eight assists. Bledsoe and Khris Middleton stepping up for a combined 56 points on 19-of-37 shots. Bledsoe averages a whopping 28.0 points, 8.4 dimes, 7.5 rebounds and 2.2 triples per 36 minutes with Giannis off the court.
Ersan Ilyasova made a fill-in start vs. the Kings on Monday, scoring seven points on 3-of-10 shooting with eight rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block. Donte DiVincenzo played through a tweaked left ankle on Monday vs. the Kings, scoring 10 points with four rebounds. He stepped on Buddy Hield’s foot and was in a lot of pain on his way to the locker room, but he returned moments later.
Backup point guard George Hill missed his sixth in a row Monday due to injury and it’s likely here.
Offense
- Total Score: 119.79
- Field Goal %: 48.15
- Three Point %: 36.16
- Free Throw %: 73.15
- Total Rebounds: 52.13
Defense
- Total Score: 107.3
- Field Goal %: 40.92
- Three Point %: 35.94
- Free Throw %: 78.1
- Total Rebounds: 46.06
Why Bet on Indiana?
The Pacers lost their sixth in a row Monday, 106-105 vs. Brooklyn. Spencer Dinwiddie calmly knocked down the go-ahead 21-footer with 5.2 seconds left, then watched as Indiana’s final shot come up well short. The six-game skid is Indiana’s longest since February 2017.
“We had a four-point lead there, late. We’ve got to win that,” Indiana coach Nate McMillan said. “You’ve got to score and you’ve got to get stops and we didn’t do that, again. It’s us, again, not finishing the game.”
Domantas Sabonis did it all on Monday against the Nets, scoring 23 points with 10 rebounds, 11 assists and one steal in 38 minutes. Sabonis registered his fourth triple-double of the season, which is also the fourth of his career. All four have come since the start of 2020. Sabonis continues to show why he was selected for his first All-Star game.
Malcolm Brogdon made just 3-of-11 attempts for six points in 32 minutes against the Nets on Monday, adding four rebounds and three assists. He missed the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. Brogdon was the only Pacers starter that failed to score in double figures. Victor Oladipo scored 12 points on 5-of-14 shooting with four rebounds and three assists Monday. Myles Turner scored 13 points in the first half, more than he had posted in any game since Jan. 13, and finished with 15.
Indiana was 7 of 30 on 3s and has now allowed 45 3s in its last three games. The Pacers had won 11 of the previous 12 games in this series, including two this season at Brooklyn. Indiana has lost five straight home games for the first time since January and February 2008.
The Pacers are 11-2 this season when holding opponents to 100 or fewer points, and 6-0 when they hold opponents to under 40 percent shooting from the field.
Offense
- Total Score: 109.57
- Field Goal %: 47.7
- Three Point %: 36.64
- Free Throw %: 78.84
- Total Rebounds: 42.48
Defense
- Total Score: 107.52
- Field Goal %: 44.86
- Three Point %: 34.65
- Free Throw %: 78.98
- Total Rebounds: 44.96
Bucks vs Pacers Game Trends
- Milwaukee are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games.
- Milwaukee are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games against Indiana.
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Milwaukee’s last 6 games when playing on the road against Indiana.
- Indiana are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games.
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana’s last 5 games.
Bucks vs Pacers Expert Prediction
Bucks 116, Pacers 108
