Indiana’s Depth Has Played Major Role Against The Milwaukee Bucks
Bucks vs Pacers Betting Trends Favor Indiana In Game 4
The Indiana Pacers have taken a 2-1 lead over the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, thanks to a 121-118 overtime NBAÂ playoffs score at home in Game 3.
The Pacers lost badly to the Bucks in Game 1 of the series. In the first half of that game, the Pacers looked unprepared due to their lack of playoff experience. However, since the second half of Game 1, the Pacers have looked like the better team.
The series lead reflects that.
Meanwhile, in Game 3, Damian Lillard injured his Achilles. While he came into the game, he was still in serious pain towards the end of the game. His status is in jeopardy, and Giannis Antetokounmpo hasn’t returned from his calf injury.
Therefore, the Pacers are now 7.5-point favorites at home, with a total of 220.5 points in this game.
If Indiana wins Game 4, the Pacers will be up 3-1 in the series. Therefore, they could clinch the first round with a win in Game 5 at Milwaukee.
Take a look at our Bucks vs Pacers betting preview and trends for the Game 4 matchup.
Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks
Day/Time:
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Streaming: TNT
Bucks vs Pacers Betting Trends
In this three-game series, the Bucks have covered twice, while the Over has also hit twice.
However, overall, the Pacers have gone 7-3 straight up against the Bucks over the last ten games, and the Over has smashed in seven of ten games as well.
Throughout the year, the Pacers have been super dominant against the spread, going 45-37-3. Meanwhile, the Bucks have underachieved and have gone 37-47-1.
When looking at all the NBA picks against the spread this season, the Pacers have been profitable, while the Bucks haven’t.
Concerns For Damian Lillard
In the first quarter of Game 3, Damian Lillard injured his Achilles driving to the rim on the offensive end. While he came back into the game in the second quarter, eventually, towards the end of the game, he was back in pain.
The pain was so bad that he asked to be more of a decoy for the Bucks, forcing Khris Middleton to be the featured guy on offense. While it worked out multiple times, eventually, the Pacers sealed the deal and knocked off the Bucks.
The Bucks are experiencing uncertainty regarding Lillard’s status, Giannis’ unavailability, and Khris Middleton’s questionable status each game due to an ankle injury.
Lillard admitted after the game that his Achilles had already been sore in the regular season. He’s trying to get ahead of it and recover well enough to play in Game 4. But this type of injury doesn’t just go away; it might be too painful for Lillard to give it a go.
Tyrese Haliburton’s Triple-Double
The Indiana Pacers made things a bit harder on themselves in Game 3 of the NBA Playoffs. The Pacers had initially been up 19 points against the Bucks but found themselves trailing at various points during the game in the second half.
Every tie; the Pacers thought they’d escape with a win, but Khris Middleton hit dagger after dagger. But eventually, with the game tied and little time remaining, Tyrese Haliburton drove to the rim for an And-1. That finished the job for the Pacers, who lost focus offensively in the second half.
Still, Haliburton added 18 points, 16 assists, and ten rebounds in the win. He was only the fourth player to ever add a triple-double in the playoffs for the Pacers.
This is the type of aggression he didn’t bring to the table in Game 1 of the series. His game affects everyone else around him.
The Bucks Are Doomed!
The Bucks were hit with the injury bug at the worst time, but it’s also clear that the Pacers have one of the deepest benches in the NBA.
Milwaukee doesn’t.
Milwaukee scored 118 points against the Pacers in overtime. AJ Green scored four points, and Andre Jackson Jr. added two. The rest of the bench was nonexistent.
You can’t win playoff games without a reliable bench. Because once you lose Giannis Antetokounmpo or Damian Lillard, you’ll need other guys to rely on.
The Bucks lacked depth when they lost their players, which is why the Pacers took a 19-point lead. It all happened when Lillard was out with an Achilles injury in the first half.
On the other hand, the Pacers got 15 points from Obi Toppin off the bench in 17 minutes. T.J. McConnell added seven points, and Ben Sheppard drained a couple of shots to score six points off the bench. This is why the Pacers have become the NBA stat leaders on offense.
It’s also the main difference between the Pacers and Bucks.
The Bucks have also been good offensively. They’ve scored at least 113.5 points per 100 possessions in each game. However, Milwaukee’s defense has been terrible in the two most recent games.
Indiana has scored at least 124.7 points per 100 possessions in both games. The Pacers have also turned the ball over no more than 8.2% of the time in those two games.
In reality, the Pacers didn’t shoot the ball well in Game 3. The ball movement in the second half didn’t look like what it did in the first half. However, the Pacers hauled in 41.9% of offensive rebounds for extra possessions and second chances. That was the difference, as the Bucks only added 28.9% of offensive rebounds despite shooting a better effective field goal percentage than the Pacers.
Over the last two games, the Pacers have proven that they can win by shooting at a high percentage and being aggressive on the glass.
No matter what they do, the Indiana offense should be supreme again in Game 4. Our Bucks vs Pacers betting picks include the Pacers at -7.5 (-115).
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