Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks First Round Playoffs Series Prediction, Player Props, Bets, & Stats

The NBA Playoffs are a level boosters after the long grind of the Regular Season. It is the ultimate stage where teams display their full strength. The match-ups between 3 and 6 seeds are most interesting as these teams often share similar records. It makes the whole scenario more unpredictable than usual. On that note, here is a look at the upcoming first-round series between the 4th seeded Indiana Pacers and the 5th seeded Milwaukee Bucks

Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks Season Series & Preview

The Pacers and the Bucks played four games against each other during the season, and Milwaukee came on top on three occasions. The only loss for them came on March 10, and that too by just a point. Apart from that, Milwaukee had commanding 12-point, 8-point, and 7-point wins. They exceeded the 120-point mark in all the wins. Two of those wins came when Lillard was active for the team, but in one of these games, he notably had a 3/14 shooting effort. It indicates that the team had an answer for Indiana even when their lead guard was struggling.

Meanwhile, those two losses for Pacers came when they were searching for rhythm. The team had a losing record at the time, which is not a reflection of their current play. While the Bucks weren’t doing much better, they had the Pacers’ number, as Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 or more points in all the wins. Despite the season series edge, the Bucks are heavily undermanned without Damian Lillard and may not have the tools to outlast the Pacers in a seven-game series.

Bucks Expected Starting Lineup

SG: Ryan Rollins | SG/SF: Taurean Prince | SF: Kyle Kuzma | PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo | C: Brook Lopez

Injuries: Damian Lillard is OUT for the season.

Pacers Expected Starting Lineup

PG: Tyrese Haliburton | SG: Andrew Nembhard | SF: Aaron Nesmith | PF: Pascal Siakam | C: Myles Turner

Injuries: Nothing significant to report.

Indiana Pacers Vs Milwaukee Bucks Playoff Player Props Prediction

Pascal Siakam O 20.5 points per game for -115

Pascal Siakam put up an impressive 24 points per game versus the Bucks this season. However, he averaged under 20 PPG during the last six weeks of the Regular Season. But I believe he will be back in the groove for the series and at least have a game over 28 points and two games over 25. I will take over for him in this case.

Tyrese Haliburton: Three-pointers per game U 3.0 for -115

The Pacers PG made 2.25 threes per game(32.1% FG)against the Bucks compared to his season average of 3 triples per game(38.6%). I believe the Bucks will keep under the 2.5 triples-per-game mark for the series.

Giannis Antetokounmpo O 30.4 for -115 points per game

Antetokounmpo accumulated 30.4 PPG during the Regular Season compared to his 30 PPG against the Pacers. He racked up 31.3 PPG in the absence of the team’s second option, Damian Lillard. I believe he will collect over 32 PPG in this series.

Kyle Kuzma Three-Pointers per game O 1.3 for -115

Kuzma made 1.4 threes per game this season. Interestingly, he failed to convert a single three-pointer in the Pacers during all three games against Indiana. I expect that to change here and make around 1.5 three-pointers per game.

Main pick– Giannis Antetokounmpo O 30.4 PPG on BetMGM for -115

Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks Series Prediction

The Pacers have an overwhelming advantage in this game, especially in the backcourt. Let’s go position by position. At guard positions, they have Tyrese Haliburton, Benedict Mathurin, Aaron Nembhard, and TJ McConnell, all capable of fielding 45+ points and 15+ assists backcourt. Meanwhile, the Bucks have Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr., and Grent Jr., who are not able to get even 30 points combined on many nights. Thus, the Pacers can outflank the Bucks in the guard positions.

Meanwhile, the Bucks have the best player of the series, Giannis Antetokounmpo. He has single-handedly kept them from sinking below the 5th in the East, but may not be able to keep them afloat in a 7-game series against a deep squad. But expect big numbers for the big-time player. Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Portis, and Brook Lopez can combine for around 35 points. The Pacers can counter that with Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner, and Andrew Nembhard can make up for it.

Overall, the Pacers are the clear favorites, but they can be pushed to a 6/7-game series by the 2021 NBA Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Series Winner- Pacers for -160 at BetMGM

Photo Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Shubham Singh

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Hi, I am Shubham. I am currently an NBA Predictions Writer on The Playoffs. I enjoy this job because it helps keep me in the loop about the game I love while fulfilling the pleasure I derive from stats. I got into NBA writing through social media interactions in the mid-2010s as I shared my takes on young talents such as D’Angelo Russell. I hope you enjoy reading my pieces as much as Dennis Rodman loved rebounding the basketball!