Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA – Photo by Icon sport
Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks: Eastern Conference Playoffs – First round
The Milwaukke Bucks are hosting the Indiana Pacers in the opening playoff round at Fiserv Forum on Sunday.
The Pacers are the best offensive team in the league
The Indiana Pacers finished sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 47-35 record. The Pacers finished the season winning 4 of the last 5 games and are coming off a 157-115 win over the Atlanta Hawks. They are the best offensive team in the league averaging 123.1 points per game on 50.6% shooting from the field. Tyrese Haliburton leads the league in assists with 10.9 and he laso adds 20.1 points per game.
Are the Pacers back on winning track?
The Milwaukee Bucks finished third in the Eastern Conference with a 4-33 record. They lost 6 of the last 8 games to close out the season and are coming off a 113-88 loss to the Orlando Magic. The Bucks are fourth in the league scoring 119 points per game and are ranked third with 5 blocks per game. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the team with 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game.
Betting Trends
Indiana has won 4 of the last 5 games against the Bucks, but the Bucks have won 10 of the last 13 games against the Pacers played in Milwaukee. The Pacers are 4-1 SU in their last five games overall. The Bucks are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games overall and 4-1 SU in the last 5 games against teams from the Central Division.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Milwaukee Bucks have a lot to prove this season after being eliminated in the opening round last year. However, things do not look promising at all as Giannis Antetokounmpo is out with an injury, and he will probably miss the entire series against the Pacers. Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton will need to step up and take over the team. The Pacers are playing their best basketball in recent years, and the addition of Pascal Siakam during the season makes them a serious contender. It seems like the Bucks made a mistake by replacing coach Adrian Griffin with Doc Rivers, and that will probably be visible tonight as well. The Pacers have the momentum, and they will use the absence of the Greek Freak to take the lead in the series.
