Light schedule around the NBA on Thursday with just two games and it opens with Central Division rivals Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks concluding their season series – although the Pacers and Bucks could face off in the postseason. Milwaukee is the NBA odds favorite here.
How to Bet Pacers vs Bucks NBA Week 21 Betting Lines & Game Info
🎥 from today’s practice: • Update on @Dsabonis11‘s health • Keys to slowing doing Giannis and the Bucks 🔑 • Embracing the challenge of a tough schedule 💪 pic.twitter.com/NkwZUlbvJH
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) 6 de marzo de 2019
- When: Thursday, 8 PM ET
- Where: Fiserv Forum
- TV: TNT
- Live Stream: NBA League Pass
- NBA Week 21 Betting Lines: Milwaukee Bucks -10 (Total 221.5)
Season Series
Bucks lead 2-1. The Bucks are looking to win at least three games over Indiana for the second time in the last three seasons. Prior to the 2016-17 season, Milwaukee had not won more than two games over the Pacers in the same season since the 2009-10 campaign.
Milwaukee ended a four-game road losing streak at Indiana with its 106-97 victory in the last matchup on Feb. 13. Giannis Antetokounmpo tallied his fifth triple-double of the season scoring 33 points with 19 rebounds and 11 assists in that one. Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pacers with 20 points.
Why Bet on Indiana?
The Pacers were 105-96 winners on Tuesday vs. Chicago. Indiana took control in the first six minutes and never trailed until Zach LaVine’s dunk capped a 7-2 fourth-quarter run that gave the Bulls their only lead, 86-85, with 7:08 to go. Big win for a team that had lost three of four. Since returning from the break, the NBA’s second-best defense had allowed 110 or more points in six consecutive games, jeopardizing Indiana’s tenuous hold on the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pacers with a team-high 27 points. He hit 9-of-14 shots in 35 minutes, adding six rebounds, one assist, two steals, and four triples. A free agent this summer, Bogdanovic is setting himself up nicely for a massive raise and has stepped up his game following Victor Oladipo’s season-ending injury — he’s averaging 21.1 points in 29 games without Oladipo compared to 14.9 points in 36 games with him. Bogdanovic’s streak of five straight 20-point games is a personal best.
Darren Collison had another phenomenal game vs. the Bulls with 22 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals, and three triples. Myles Turner blocked a career-high seven shots to go with 10 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and one triple in 36 minutes. His previous career-high for blocks was six and he accomplished that six times. He’s been in a shooting slump lately (34.1% from the field over his last five) which may or may not be related to his recent hip injury.
Coach Nate McMillan is not anticipating Domantas Sabonis (ankle) to travel with the team to Milwaukee for Thursday’s game. Sabonis missed his fourth consecutive game Tuesday with a sprained left ankle. Sabonis is shooting 61.0 percent from the field this season, which ranks fifth in the NBA. He also is averaging 9.3 rebounds per game, which ranks first among all players in the NBA who have started fewer than half of their team’s games, and 18th overall in the league. He leads all bench players in the NBA in double-doubles as 21 of his 24 this season have come off the bench.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 108.69
- Field Goal Percentage: 47.93
- Three-Point Percentage: 37.64
- Free Throw Percentage: 75.95
- Total Rebounds: 43.18
Defense
- Total Score: 103.72
- Field Goal Percentage: 44.79
- Three-Point Percentage: 35.31
- Free Throw Percentage: 75.07
- Total Rebounds: 43.18
Why Bet on Milwaukee?
The Bucks have the NBA’s best record but enter on a two-game slide and somehow were swept in the season series on Monday by the terrible Phoenix Suns. They rallied from a 10-point, fourth-quarter to beat the NBA-best Bucks 114-105, becoming the first team to defeat Milwaukee multiple times this season.
Until Monday, the Bucks were the only team in the league that hadn’t yet lost back-to-back games. The Bucks went 63 games this season before suffering back-to-back losses. Only three teams in NBA history went longer into a season. The previous longest streak for the Bucks was 19 games in both 1970-71 and 1971-72.
The Suns were 13.5-point underdogs in both their games against the Bucks this season. Only once in the past 25 regular seasons did one team beat another team multiple times in a season as an underdog of at least 13 points. The Chicago Bulls did it against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2001-02.
Giannis Antetokounmpo tallied 21 points (8-of-14 FGs, 5-of-10 FTs), 13 rebounds, six assists, three steals and six turnovers in Monday’s loss. Antetokounmpo, who would foul out late in the fourth quarter, has now posted a double-double in three straight games.
Malcolm Brogdon shot 3-of-4 from three, finishing with 19 points, seven rebounds, and one steal. After missing Saturday’s loss to the Jazz due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot, Brogdon returned to the lineup Monday. Eric Bledsoe (back soreness) was back on the court for Monday’s loss to the Suns, finishing with 15 points, five rebounds, five assists, and one steal. After not playing Saturday, Bledsoe played 29 minutes and shot 5-of-16 from the field and 5-of-6 from the foul line Monday.
The Bucks have won an NBA-high 35 of games by 10+ points this year including nine games by 20+ points, five games by 30+ points and one game by 40+ points. Milwaukee is currently first in the NBA in points per game differential this season, winning each game by an average of 9.3 points.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 117.30
- Field Goal Percentage: 47.64
- Three-Point Percentage: 35.03
- Free Throw Percentage: 77.06
- Total Rebounds: 49.23
Defense
- Total Score: 108.23
- Field Goal Percentage: 43.29
- Three-Point Percentage: 35.84
- Free Throw Percentage: 74.14
- Total Rebounds: 44.88
Pacers vs Bucks NBA Week 21 Betting Trends
- Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings
- Favorite is 7-2 ATS in the last 9 meetings
- Home team is 7-2 ATS in the last 9 meetings
- Indiana is 3-10 ATS in its last 13 games on the road
- Indiana is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games
- The total has gone OVER in 10 of Indiana’s last 15 games on the road
- Milwaukee is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
- Milwaukee is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Milwaukee’s last 8 games at home
Expert NBA Betting Prediction for Bucks vs Pacers
Indiana Pacers 102 – Milwaukee Bucks 114
