The 2024 NBA Playoffs will continue on Friday night, and there is a big game coming in the Eastern Conference. The Milwaukee Bucks are set to visit the Indiana Pacers for Game 3 of their series, and things are currently tied up at 1-1.
Milwaukee is the number three seed in the Eastern Conference after finishing the year with a record of 49-33. The Bucks are a recent NBA champion, but they gave up home court advantage with a loss in Game 2.
Indiana was able to earn the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, but they are a team that has a higher ceiling than that. The Pacers were overwhelmed in Game 1, but were able to come back with a big win in Game 2 to even the series.
Indiana is coming into this game as a 5.5-point betting favorite and the over/under for this game is set at 222.5 total points.
Bucks Have to Defend
The Milwaukee Bucks are going to have to get stops if they are going to win this game, but they allowed 125 points in the Game 2 loss. Milwaukee wants to play an uptempo style of basketball, but they can’t give up easy baskets.
Damian Lillard is scoring 34.5 points per game so far in this series, but he is going to need some help to beat the Pacers. Milwaukee is currently playing without Giannis Antetokounmpo, and that is a huge issue for this team on both ends of the floor.
The Bucks are not a great three-point shooting team, but they will need to get hot from deep if they are going to pull off a win in this game.
Pacers Play With Pace
The Indiana Pacers were the highest-scoring team in the NBA during the regular season, and that was on display in Milwaukee. Indiana wants to score at least 120 points in this game, and they aren’t afraid to take quick shots.
Pascal Siakam is having a monster series for the Pacers as he is scoring 36.5 points and grabbing 12 rebounds per game. Siakam will need to set the tone in this game, but Tyrese Haliburton will also need to score some points.
The Pacers are comfortable giving up some points on defense as long as they are able to get the ball back on offense.
Pacers Pick Up Dominant Win
The Milwaukee Bucks are trying to win these games without Giannis Antetokounmpo, and that’s just not going to work out well on the road. Milwaukee doesn’t have an offense to keep pace with Indiana, and the Pacers can put points on the board in a hurry.
Indiana is now coming into this game with a ton of momentum, and they know that they need to take care of business at home. Look for the Pacers to play their best game of the series as they will use the energy from the home crowd to take complete control.
Bet the Indiana Pacers to not only win but cover the spread in this game as they take a 2-1 series lead over the Milwaukee Bucks.
