INDIANA PACERS VS. MILWAUKEE BUCKS ODDS AND PREDICTIONS
Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA coverage here at Latest Basketball News. One of the games on Wednesday’s slate features the Indiana Pacers (13-9) taking on the Milwaukee Bucks (16-7).
The Pacers have won both games between these two teams. Can Indiana make it three straight against their division rivals, or will Milwaukee finally get into the win column?
Let’s look at which team has the edge heading into this matchup and why.
Tipoff
- When: Wednesday, December 13 at 8:00 PM ET
- Where: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
- TV: BSWI and BSIN
Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks Odds (via DraftKings)
Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks – Regular Season Stats & Betting Trends
Pacers Looking To Extend Their Winning Streak To Five Games
Indiana Pacers Season Stats:
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The Indiana Pacers come into this matchup with wins in each of their last four contests. This includes a 131-123 victory against the Detroit Pistons.
Bennedict Mathurin came off to the bench and led the team with 30 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds. Tyrese Haliburton chipped in 14 points, 16 assists, and five rebounds.
It was the team’s first outing since their 123-109 to the Los Angeles Lakers in the league’s In-Season Tournament final on Saturday night.
“This is one of the most difficult games you can have, coming off the emotions of last week, the game on Saturday, the travel, and everything else,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said, via ESPN. “I just thought our guys did a great job of staying together, keeping their composure and their aggression.
Indiana shot 56.5 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from 3-point range en route to handing the Pistons their 20th consecutive loss.
Bucks Hoping To Finally Get A Win Against Division Rivals
Milwaukee Bucks Season Stats:
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Meanwhile, the Bucks have won seven of their last 10 games and they are tied for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. In their most recent outing, they defeated the Chicago Bulls 133-129 in overtime on Monday night.
Giannis Antetokounmpo paced Milwaukee’s scoring attack with 32 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Brook Lopez contributed 19 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists. Following their win over Chicago, the Bucks are hoping to have the same level of success against the Pacers.
Next up, we will look at the betting trends for both teams.
The Spread
The Bucks opened as a consensus five-point favorite. At the time of this writing, the line has moved to 6.5 for Milwaukee. Here are a few trends that suggest why taking the road team to cover could be a wise choice.
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- The Pacers are 13-9 ATS, while the Bucks are just 9-14.
- Indiana is 4-1 ATS in its last five games overall.
- The Pacers are 5-0 ATS in their last five matchups against Eastern Conference opponents.
- In their last eight December games, the Pacers are 7-1 against the spread.
- The Bucks are 0-6 ATS in their last six matchups against Central Division teams.
Prediction: Indiana Pacers (+6.5)
Over/Under
The projected over/under total opened at 236.5 points. That line has moved to 238.5 points, with the “under” garnering 71 percent of the cash and 60 percent of the tickets (via pregame.com).
Here are some noteworthy trends that point to taking the “over” in this matchup.
- The OVER total has cashed in for the Pacers 15 times in their last 19 outings.
- In Indiana’s last 11 road games, the OVER has hit nine times.
- The OVER total has prevailed 13 times in the Pacers’ last 15 matchups against Eastern Conference teams.
- The total has gone OVER five times in the Bucks’ last six games.
- In the last seven meetings between these teams, the OVER has hit six times.
- The OVER total has won six times in the Bucks’ last seven games against Eastern Conference opponents.
- In Milwaukee’s last seven December games, the total has gone OVER six times.
Prediction: OVER 258.5 points
Player Prop Bets
My key player to watch for the Pacers is Tyrese Haliburton. He currently has -130 odds of scoring more than 27.5 points and +100 odds of finishing with less than 27.5 points.
Here is a breakdown of Haliburton’s career numbers against Milwaukee and his present-day production as well.
- Albeit a small sample size, Haliburton is averaging 22 PPG in six career games against the Bucks.
- On the season, Haliburton is averaging 26.3 points per contest.
- In his last nine outings, Haliburton’s per-game average is 28 PPG.
- Haliburton is averaging 28.0 PPG in the two regular-season games against Milwaukee.
- In eight road games this season, Haliburton is averaging 28.7 PPG.
As the above trends suggest, taking the “over” for Haliburton is the way to go here.
Prediction: Tyrese Haliburton OVER 27.5 points
My key player to watch for the Bucks is Giannis Antetokounmpo. He currently has -125 odds of scoring more than 33.5 points and -105 odds of scoring less than 33.5 points.
Although he is averaging 45 points per outing in the two regular-season matchups between these teams, here is a look at why taking the “under’ could be the best bet.
- In 37 career games against Indiana, Giannis is averaging 22.9 points per outing.
- On the season, he is averaging 30.6 PPG.
- Over his last 10 outings, Antetokounmpo is averaging 32.2 PPG.
- In 13 home games, his per-game average is 30.3.
- The three instances he has played on a Wednesday this season, Antetokounmpo is averaging just 17.3 points per contest.
- Antetokounmpo is averaging 34 PPG in four December games this season.
Prediction: Giannis Antetokounmpo UNDER 33.5 points
James’s Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks Picks
Spread: Milwaukee Bucks (+6.5)
Over/Under: Over 258.5 points
Player Prop Bet #1: Tyrese Haliburton OVER 27.5 points
Player Prop Bet #2: Giannis Antetokounmpo UNDER 33.5 points