NBA Betting – Indiana Pacers at Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks aren’t used to losing after posting the best record in the NBA in each of the previous two seasons. They ended a two-game losing streak, their second in a week, by thumping the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. The Bucks look to make it two straight victories when they tangle with Central Division rival the Indiana Pacers for the first time this season on Wednesday in the first game of an ESPN doubleheader.  Bookmaker.eu offers a generous welcome CASH bonus (max bonus $1600)

Indiana Pacers at Milwaukee Bucks
Date and Time: Wednesday, February 3, 2021, 7 p.m. ET
Location: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
Opening NBA Odds: Milwaukee -8.5, O/U 232
Pacers at Bucks TV Coverage: ESPN

Odds Analysis

One thing the teams have in common is that they both lost to Charlotte last week. For Indiana the setback stopped a two-game winning streak and sparked a two-game slide that saw the Pacers go 0-2 ATS. A 119-110 loss to Philadelphia on Sunday was Indy’s fifth in the last eight games while they went just 2-6 ATS in that stretch. Overall the Pacers are 11-9 SU and 10-10 ATS. Milwaukee had dropped two straight and four of six before dismantling Portland 134-106 on Monday night. Despite the recent funk the Bucks are still positioned near the top of the Eastern Conference standings right behind Philadelphia. Milwaukee gets a day off before this matchup while the Pacers will be playing the second of a back-to-back and their third game in four nights.

Indiana Pacers

I guess you could say the Pacers are consistent. They haven’t won more than two games in a row since opening the season with three straight victories. And more importantly they haven’t lost more than two consecutive games all season. While they aren’t mentioned as one of the top teams in the East with Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Boston, the Pacers are lingering near just behind those clubs in what is a congested conference.

The Pacers don’t get mentioned because they lack a superstar player. They don’t have a Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kevin Durant, or a Joel Embiid or Jayson Tatum. They have everyday Joes who go out and play basketball. I guess it’s fitting for their market. But sometimes not having that go-to scorer can be a detriment. It was in a loss to Philadelphia. Indiana scored one basket – ONE – over the final eight minutes getting outscored 31-6 in an eventual 119-110 loss.

That loss was hard to swallow since it came against a team the Pacers are trying to catch in the East. The fourth quarter drought is actually quite new to them. Indy has been efficient on offense all season averaging over 113 points while shooting nearly 48 percent from the field. The balanced attack is led by Malcolm Brogdon, who scores a team-best 22.9 points. Domantas Sabonis is a double-double machine averaging 20.6 points and 12 rebounds.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks are hopeful their win over Portland restores a swagger that was missing in losses to New Orleans and Charlotte. It was a lot like what we saw from them the past two seasons. The Bucks spread the ball, ran the floor and were deadly from three-point range. It all amounted to a 134-106 victory, ending a two-game losing streak.

Making moves during the offseason to improve and get over the playoff hump, the Bucks are actually in a worse spot now. They have eight losses through 20 games. They didn’t lose their ninth game last season until their 61st game. Of course everything’s different this season with COVID playing a role, but the East has also gotten better with the top six teams all within four losses of each other. For one night at least the Bucks did nearly everything right. They made 21 three-pointers and shot 55.2 percent overall.

One area that played a role in their recent slide was defense, particularly defending the three-point shot. You’d think for a team so adept at shooting and making triples would have a good idea how to defend it. During a three-game road trip where they went 1-2, the Bucks allowed at least 21 triples in every game.

Bet Pacer at Bucks at BookMaker.eu

The Bucks are hoping their last outing sparks a run. They got a big win without much of a contribution from Antetokounmpo, who scored just 17 points, and they can continue that against a team playing its third game in four nights with travel. Milwaukee is too talented to be languishing and I can see them putting a streak together to get to where they feel they belong. The Pacers are a scrappy bunch, but winning on the road is a tough task.

NBA Score Prediction: Bucks 118, Pacers 110

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- Phil Simon, Gambling911.com