Can Pacers Continue Dominance Over Bucks in The Playoffs?
Pacers vs Bucks Betting Odds Have Milwaukee Favored in Game 1
The Indiana Pacers will play the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the NBA Playoffs starting Saturday.
The Bucks finished as the No. 3 seed with a 49-33 record. Meanwhile, the Pacers finished 47-35 but finished with the No. 6 seed.
Both teams don’t have to worry about the NBA Play-In Tournament as they are already in the playoffs. However, the Bucks have the home-court advantage for this first-round matchup against the Pacers.
This is a best-of-seven game, with the series format being 2-2-1-1-1. That means the Bucks will have two home games first. After those two games, the Pacers will get their two home games. After the first four games, the Bucks would get the next home game if there were any more necessary games. A Pacers home game would follow that in Game 6. If a Game 7 is needed, the Bucks would be home for that matchup.
That said, with the Bucks home, Milwaukee is currently a -122 favorite in Game 1, with the total at 235.5. You can shop around against the spread. However, most books have the Bucks at -1.5 for Game 1.
The Bucks aren’t heavier favorites due to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s calf injury. There’s still some real doubt that Milwaukee’s star will play in Game 1 of the series.
Let’s break down the Pacers vs Bucks betting odds for Game 1 and preview the rest of the series in the first round of the Eastern Conference.
Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks 
Records: Indiana Pacers (47-35), Milwaukee Bucks (49-33)
Location: Fiserv Forum
Day/Time:
Pacers vs Bucks Betting Odds & Trends
The Bucks and Pacers have each won five of their last ten games against one another heading into this series.
The Pacers last played Milwaukee on January 3, 2024. With the Bucks at -3.5 with the NBA betting lines, the Pacers added a 142-130 victory at home. The Pacers also won a matchup on January 1 as 8-point underdogs, 122-113.
This season, the Pacers have gone 4-1 against the Bucks. The Pacers were underdogs in each game via the Pacers vs Bucks betting odds. The Pacers were also on the road in three of the five games.
Indiana’s Feeling Good
The Pacers clinched the No. 6 seed with a 157-point explosion against the Hawks on Sunday. The Pacers tied a franchise record for points in a game after Myles Turner helped add 31 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks for the Pacers in the win.
Indiana is the highest-scoring team in the NBA and has had some ridiculous scoring outputs this season. In the final game of the regular season, the Pacers had seven NBA players in double figures thanks to Tyrese Haliburton’s distribution, where he added 12 points but 13 assists in the win.
The depth of the Pacers could help them get past the Bucks in this series.
Dame-Time Is Back!
It’s unclear if Giannis Antetokounmpo will be back in time for the start of the playoffs. However, Damian Lillard will be on the floor for the Bucks. That, we do know.
Lillard ultimately missed the playoffs in two consecutive seasons with the Blazers before being traded to the Bucks. Lillard has put on clinics in the NBA Playoffs before, and it’ll be fun to see what he’s got in store this year with the Bucks.
When asked about the playoffs, Lillard acknowledged that being able to rest this week before the game on Saturday will help the Bucks reset and prepare for the playoffs.
Dame-Time will be needed against the Pacers. After all, the Pacers have had the Bucks’ number in previous games. If Giannis cannot go, look for Lillard to take many shots in this series.
Can The Milwaukee Offense Compete?
All the Bucks had to do on Sunday was beat the Orlando Magic for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. However, the Bucks lost 113-88 and had one of the worst offensive outputs of the season.
The Bucks scored 91.3 points per 100 possessions and shot an effective field goal percentage of 41.3%. In addition, the Bucks turned the ball over 18.8% of the time and earned just over 20% of offensive rebounds.
The last two games without Giannis have been awful. Before that Magic game, the Bucks scored just 107 against Oklahoma City and scored only 103.6 points per 100 possessions. The defense allowed 128.9 points per 100 possessions and earned only 7.2% of turnovers in that loss.
While Bobby Portis and Lillard have stepped up in Giannis’ absence, the inconsistency is a little concerning for the Bucks heading into the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers have been elite offensively. The team has scored at least 113.8 points per 100 possessions in eight straight games. They’re also coming off a game where they shot an effective field goal percentage of 75% with 40% of offensive rebounds.
Don’t expect the Pacers to make it to the foul line at a high rate. However, the Pacers are usually good at keeping turnovers down, which should help with more shot volume and possessions.
That said, the Pacers aren’t good defensively. Opponents will get good looks against the Pacers. But those opponents also have to try out-shooting the best offense in the NBA. That’s not easy.
Right now, the Bucks haven’t had success offensively. Just a few minor mistakes on the offensive end could hurt their chances of defeating the Bucks.
With uncertainty around Giannis and the inconsistency from the Bucks as of late, the Indiana Pacers are an intriguing option to win the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
Indiana has had Milwaukee’s number and will only have it easier with Giannis injured. Even if Giannis ends up playing, do we really think he’ll be 100 percent? It’s doubtful.
Consider backing the Pacers to win the first round of the NBA Playoffs. After all, the Pacers won the Eastern Conference In-Season Tournament and have already succeeded in tournament atmospheres. Since then, the Pacers added Pascal Siakam, which only made the team better.
Therefore, our NBA predictions have the Pacers escaping the Bucks in the first round. Get ready for some incredible NBA playoffs tonight.
Pacers vs Bucks Betting Lines
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