The NBA regular season has concluded and the postseason is officially underway! This Eastern Conference playoff series features a matchup between the #6 Indiana Pacers and the #3 Milwaukee Bucks. The winner of this series will have their sights set on a potential matchup with the Knicks, 76ers, or Heat.
Before Betting on Pacers vs Bucks
The Pacers finished in a three-way tie at 47-35, and landed as the Eastern Conference’s 6-seed after the tiebreakers were determined. They draw a matchup against a talented Bucks team that has been sliding as of late, gaining a legitimate chance to pull off a first-round upset. Indiana boasts the NBA’s #1 offense by a wide margin, but also ranks in the bottom-five defensively.
If the Pacers can find a way to slow down Damien Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, they could make it into the second round. They’ll be relying on leading-scorer Tyrese Haliburton, who will be making his first playoff appearance in his 5-year NBA career. Haliburton averaged over 20 points per game for the second consecutive season, while also leading the entire NBA in assists per game.
Meanwhile, the Bucks are just hoping that a banged-up Giannis Antetokounmpo is available at some point in this series. He has been rehabbing from a left calf strain and the team is hopeful he will be able to return at some point before the second round.
Unfortunately, Giannis remains unlikely to play in the first two games of this series in Milwaukee, putting extra pressure on Lillard and company to avoid losing ground early on. It will be a legitimate test to keep pace with Indiana’s top-ranked offense without Giannis on the floor providing 30 points per game.
Pacers vs Bucks Offshore Odds
This could be a much closer matchup than many people anticipate. Milwaukee lost seven of their last ten games down the stretch and appears to be quite vulnerable. Indiana isn’t a lock to defeat them by any means, but the Pacers have the best upset chance of any team in the first round. If the Pacers take one of the first two games in Milwaukee, I see them winning this series in six games.
