Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks Betting Pick & Prediction 4/21/24

The Pacers and Bucks are set to tip-off their first-round series at 7:00 PM ET on Sunday from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. TNT is carrying the game on TV, and the Pacers are slightly favored on the road, with the spread currently at -1.5. The over/under line is at 231.5, and Indiana is -120 on the money line compared to -101 for Milwaukee.

INDIANA PACERS VS MILWAUKEE BUCKS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Indiana Pacers -1.5

This game will be played at Fiserv Forum at 7:00 ET on Sunday, April 21st.

WHY BET THE INDIANA PACERS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 113-110 in favor of the Pacers.
• Our projections have Pascal Siakam finishing with Pascal Siakam points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists.
• From the field, we have the Pacers finishing with a field goal percentage of 51.6% and knocking down 13 threes.

Will Indiana Find a Way to Win on the Road?

Indiana has gone 44-36 against the spread this season, including a record of 22-18 ATS on the road. As the favorite, they are 21-22 ATS for the season, and they have covered the spread in their last two games as the favorite.

The Pacers have a 47-35 overall record this season, which is currently 6th in the Eastern Conference. Against other Eastern Conference teams, they are 32-20 compared to 15-15 against the West.

On the road, Indiana is 21-20 straight up this season, and they are 22-18 ATS. Their average scoring margin on the road is -0.7 points per game.

In their most recent game, Indiana defeated the Hawks by a score of 157-115. The O/U line for that game was 242 points, and the Pacers were favored by 14 points.

The Pacers have hit the over in five straight games, and their O/U record for the season is 43-39. On average, their games have finished with 243.5 points per game.

Indiana is averaging 123.3 points per game this season, which is the best mark in the league. They have been even better on the road, at 121 points per contest. The Pacers are also the top team in field goal percentage, hitting 50% of their shots this season. Looking at their two-point field goal percentage, they are at 58%, which is also the best in the NBA.

Over his last five games, Myles Turner is averaging 20.4 points per game on 60.7% shooting. In these games, he hit 2.2 threes per game. Pascal Siakam is averaging 20.4 points per game in his last five games, while hitting 60.3% of his shots from the field. For the season, Siakam is averaging 21.7 points per game. Tyrese Haliburton is averaging 20.1 points per game to go along with 10.9 assists for the season.

At present, the Pacers’ defense is ranked 27th, allowing 120.2 points per game. The Indiana defense has allowed opponents to shoot 36.5% from beyond the arc this season. Opposing teams are also hitting 49.7% of their field goal attempts vs. Indiana.

Does Milwaukee Have What it Takes to Win as Home Underdogs?

Milwaukee is currently in 3rd place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 49-33. They are also in 1st place in the Central Division. In non-conference games, the Bucks went 15-15 compared to 34-18 against the East.

As the underdog, the Bucks have a record of 4-11 this season. Their ATS record as the underdog is 6-9, and they have lost their last two games against the spread as the underdog.

In their last game, the Bucks lost to the Magic by a score of 113-88. They were 5.5-point underdogs in that game. The O/U line for that game was 215 points.

This season, the Bucks have an average scoring differential of +6.3 points per game at home. On the road, their scoring differential is -1.3 points per game. Their ATS record at home is 19-23.

On the season, the Bucks have gone 35-47 against the spread. They have failed to cover the spread in their last two games and are 6-9 ATS as the underdog.

In their games this season, the Bucks have averaged 235.3 points per game, and today’s O/U line is set at 231.5. This season, 44 of their games have had higher O/U lines than that.

Milwaukee comes into the game as the NBA’s 4th best scoring team, at 119 points per game. They are also one of the league’s top three-point shooting teams, as they are 5th in three-point attempts and makes. The Bucks are averaging 14.2 made threes per game on a three-point shooting percentage of 37%, which is 11th in the league.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to miss the game with a calf injury. On the season, he is averaging 30.4 points and 11.5 rebounds. Over his last five games, Bobby Portis has hit 62.9% of his shots from the field and 18 points per game. In these games, he also hit 2 threes and averaged 7.4 rebounds. Brook Lopez has hit 2.4 threes per game in his last five games, averaging 13.4 points in that stretch. Damian Lillard is averaging 20 points and 5.5 assists in his last four games but shot just 38.2% from the field in those games.

Coming into today’s game, the Bucks’ defense is giving up an average of 116.4 points per contest. In the terms of takeaways, Bucks are causing 12.4 turnovers per game, ranking 14th in the league. They also enter the matchup ranked 16th in rejections, averaging 5 blocked shots each game.