Can The Pacers Hold On In Game 6?
The Bucks vs Pacers Spreads Reflect Pacers In Six
The Milwaukee Bucks are on life support. And yet, they became the first team in NBA history to win a playoff game without their top two leading scorers. Down 3-1 in the Eastern Conference’s first round against the Indiana Pacers, the Bucks added a 115-92 victory at home against the Indiana Pacers to stay alive in the playoffs.
Without Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, the Bucks relied heavily on Bobby Portis and Khris Middleton. Those two combined for nearly 60 of the 115 points scored in the game. Meanwhile, Patrick Beverley added 12 assists and finished with a double-double, along with Portis and Middleton.
The Bucks got the win behind their home crowd. But now, for Game 6, the Bucks will have a tall task of beating the Pacers on the road. They couldn’t get a win in Indiana earlier in the playoff series and could still be without Lillard and Antetokounmpo for the next game.
Therefore, despite the blowout loss, the Pacers are still eight-point favorites, sitting at -345 on the moneyline. The total is also at 215.5.
Here’s a closer look at the Bucks vs Pacers spreads for Game 6 on Thursday as we prepare to give out our best NBA bets today. It’ll be Milwaukee’s second elimination game in the playoffs.
Bucks vs Pacers Spreads & Trends
The Bucks added a 115-92 victory in Game 5 against the Pacers as 5.5-point underdogs. Not only did the Bucks score 115 points without Lillard and Antetokounmpo, but they also held the Pacers to just 92 points to help achieve the Under. That’s never easy, as Indiana is labeled the best offense in the NBA.
Still, the Pacers have won seven of the last ten games. They’ve also gone 6-4 when looking at the head-to-head Bucks vs Pacers spreads and have hit the over in six of ten games.
Did The Pacers Lose Their Chance?
The Pacers would’ve liked to finish off the Bucks in Game 5. But as we’ve seen repeatedly in the NBA, it’s hard to win on the road in the playoffs. That said, the Pacers had a chance to get the job done when the Bucks didn’t have their two all-stars in the game and didn’t. That’s got to sting if you’re Indiana.
It’s still unclear if Damian Lillard or Giannis Antetokounmpo will be available for Game 6. But the series was right there for the taking in Game 5, and the Pacers lost that opportunity because of their worst playoff performance.
Still, the Pacers are -8 at home in Game 6. So they didn’t essentially lose their chance. But another loss in Game 6 would make things really interesting with a potential Game 7 in Milwaukee.
The Pacers need to find a way to win Game 6 if they want to move on.
Khris Middleton’s Carrying The Bucks
It’s been the next-man-up mentality for the Bucks. They’ve been crippled with countless injuries late in the season but continue to fight. Middleton has started to take charge lately. He added 29 points and 12 rebounds to help the Bucks win Game 5.
The three-time All-Star is now averaging 26.8 points per game in this series and has added a double-double in four of the five games. Middleton scored at least 25 points in three consecutive games and has drained nearly 50% of his shots in the series.
The Bucks recently won an NBA Championship, and people sometimes forget how big of a role Middleton played in that Championship run. While he’s taken the backseat to Lillard and Antetokounmpo, he’s another player on the Bucks that can do serious damage.
Can Milwaukee Maintain Offensive Success?
As mentioned earlier, the Indiana Pacers are known for their offensive ability. But in Game 5, the Milwaukee Bucks showed off offensively. The Bucks scored 131.4 points per 100 possessions and added a 58.9% effective field goal percentage to score 115 points against the Pacers without their two all-stars.
Milwaukee added a playoff-best 36.6% of offensive rebounds and only turned the ball over 11.6% of the time. It was tremendous work from the Bucks. But now they’ll be heading back on the road, where they allowed the Pacers to score at least 124.7 points per 100 possessions. Indiana even shot a 65.5% effective field goal percentage in Game 4 at home, which was the best rate for any team in the playoffs in a single game.
The Pacers also turned the ball over at home no more than 8.2% of the time. In Game 5, on the road, the Pacers uncharacteristically turned the ball over 15.1% of the time and added only 23.8% of offensive rebounds. They have now managed under 25% of offensive rebounds in two consecutive games.
Indiana won’t consistently get to the foul line, so they must limit turnovers. They’ll also want to win battles on the offensive glass and, of course, make shots. The track record for Indiana is there. Ultimately, the Pacers have had three games against the Bucks in this series, scoring at least 124.7 points per 100 possessions. In those three games, the Pacers won. That’s where they’re standing at 3-2 in this series.
With the series coming back to Indiana, it’s likely the Pacers will finish the job. It’s also unlikely Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo will miraculously recover to play in Game 6.
With less than 48 hours between Game 5 and Game 6, it just doesn’t seem likely that either star player will be ready to play with their respective injuries. However, reports have suggested that the Bucks are confident Lillard and Antetokounmpo are getting closer to a return.
The oddsmakers have the Bucks vs Pacers spreads at -8 for Indiana. They expect a convincing win for the Pacers in Indiana.
Therefore, you can add the Pacers to your NBA picks and parlays, with the Pacers -8 (-110). Ultimately, the NBA tonight’s schedule is getting thinner by the day, with more teams being eliminated. We’re predicting there will be no Game 7 for this series.
Bucks vs Pacers Odds
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