Indiana Pacers at Milwaukee Bucks Game 2 odds, picks and predictions

Ryan Dodson

Staff Writer

The 6-seed Indiana Pacers and 3-seed Milwaukee Bucks meet in Game 2 of a best-of-7 Eastern Conference, 1st-round series Tuesday. The Bucks lead the series 1-0. Tip-off from Fiserv Forum is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET (NBA TV). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the Pacers vs. Bucksodds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions.

Stephen A. Smith has a saying that the great ones will get you 1. It refers to Allen Iverson carrying the Philadelphia 76ers to 1 win against the mighty Los Angeles Lakers in the 2001 NBA Finals. G Damian Lillard got Milwaukee 1 and reminded everyone that even at 33 years old, it's still Dame Time. He dropped a franchise-record 35 points in the first half of Game 1 as the Bucks prevailed 109-94 without F Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf).

The Pacers held him scoreless in the 2nd half as he attempted just 5 shots, but the damage was done. The Pacers shot just 8-for-38 (21%) from 3-point range, and G Tyrese Haliburton had just 9 points. F Pascal Siakam had his way with 36 points and 13 boards, but it wasn't enough. F Bobby Portis Jr. (15 points, 11 boards) and F Khris Middleton (23 points, 10 boards) each had double-doubles for Milwaukee.

Pacers at Bucks odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:25 a.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Pacers +100 (bet $100 to win $100) | Bucks -120 (bet $120 to win $100)
Against the spread (ATS): Pacers +1.5 (-115) | Bucks -1.5 (-105)
Over/Under (O/U): 223.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

Pacers at Bucks key injuries

Pacers

F Bennedict Mathurin (shoulder) out

Bucks

F Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) doubtful

For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.

Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!

Pacers at Bucks picks and predictions

Prediction

Pacers 115, Bucks 110

Moneyline

No road team has won a game in the playoffs this year since entering the best-of-7 format. That changes here.

Giannis is listed as doubtful, but he's not playing. If the Bucks lost Game 1, maybe you could see them risk it, but a calf injury requires time. The books agree, as the Bucks are merely -120 favorites.

The Pacers were 4-2 against the Bucks this season, and they won 2 in this building. Take the PACERS +100.

Against the spread

There's no point in taking the spread here, as we're going with the value on the ML.

The Pacers scored a league-high 123.3 PPG in the regular season and were held below 99 points for the 1st time in Game 1. They'll respond. Take PACERS OVER 110.5 TOTAL POINTS (-140).

Over/Under

The Under 230 cashed in Game 1, and the market has corrected itself down 7 points. The trends and historical data are a moot point. Without Giannis, the numbers are heavily skewed, but what we can count on is the Bucks to approach 110, and I believe the Pacers shoot better than a measly 21% from 3.

Take the OVER 223.5 (-110).

For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Ryan Dodson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X andlike us on Facebook.

Access more NBA coverage: