Filip Tomic
It is the best time of the year for basketball fans as the NBA Playoffs begin this Saturday with the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers squaring off at 1 pm ET. I’m hoping to start us off on a positive note with my +335 odds Same Game Parlay, available below. Get NBA Playoffs Predictions on our website, but now let’s dive into my Bucks vs Pacers Game 1 SGP!
Milwaukee Bucks +5.5 Point Spread (-110)
Giannis Antetokounmpo to Record a double-double (-470)
Tyrese Haliburton to Record 10+ Assists (-290)
Myles Turner 2+ Made Threes (-230)
Same Game Parlay odds: +335
Milwaukee Bucks +5.5 Point Spread (-110)
Milwaukee will be encouraged by the news that their 2nd best player Damian Lillard has been cleared to play in the series opener, following a one month layoff due to blood clot issues. Having Dame around helps the Bucks on offense tremendously, Giannis no longer has to carry the team on that end by himself which should benefit him in both the short term as well as in the long run, assuming the Bucks go far. Getting a result in Game 1 is of the outmost importance for Milwaukee, after all the Pacers are the ones who have home court advantage here and in order to advance the Bucks must win at least once in Indy. Catching the Pacers somewhat unprepared might be their best chance of doing so.
Indiana did finish the year at 29-12 SU in home games which makes them one of the better home teams in the East, however they closed out the season by covering just 3 times in 9 games overall and only twice in 14 games vs Eastern Conference opponents. Let’s also not forget that Milwaukee won the regular season series 3-1, recording a W at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on New Years Eve behind a monster 30 point night from Giannis Antetokounmpo. After seeing them close out the regular season on an 8-game win streak and 10-2 ATS in 12 games on the road, I am confident the Bucks can get something out of the series opener on Saturday.
Giannis Antetokounmpo to Record a double-double (-470)
In 67 games played this year, this bet has cashed 55 times which equals to a success rate of just over 82%. The Greek Freak closed out the regular season recording a double-double in all 6 games in the month of April, including 4 triple-doubles which elevated his averages to 31.8 points, 12 rebounds and 11.8 assists per game. His performances were a major reason why the Bucks took 3 of the 4 regular season games from the Pacers. Giannis averaged 30 points, 12.3 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game on almost 65% shooting. I expect him to continue putting up similar numbers, the Pacers just aren’t built to slow down a player like him. And there’s really no shame in that, because neither are the 29 other teams in the NBA. Back Giannis to assert his dominance here.
Tyrese Haliburton to Record 10+ Assists (-290)
Even though the numbers have dropped a little compared to the previous two years, this season Tyrese Haliburton has taken a major step in his development as a player helping his team record the most wins since he came over from the Kings back in the 2021-22 season. His performances from March 1st onwards have been particularly impressive, since that date he posted 19.4 points and 10.9 assists per game, leading his Pacers to a 17-7 SU record. He failed to record at least 10 assists in just 3 of his last 16 games, during that stretch he played the Bucks twice and finished with 15 and 10 dimes respectively. The return of Lillard will force him to do a bit of extra work on defense, but everything on offense should go through him as that’s the recipe that’s led the Pacers to 50 wins this regular season.
Myles Turner 2+ Made Threes (-230)
In 72 games played this season Turner averaged 2.2 makes from beyond the arc on a consistent 39.6% efficiency. Never in his career before did he post those type of numbers, playing alongside Siakam and Haliburton has meant a lot less attention from opposing defenses and he has flourished in his role as the 3rd and sometimes even 4th option on offense. His situation is very much comparable to that of Bobby Portis on the Bucks, if he plays to his strengths in this series he could very well be the X-Factor for the Pacers. Only once in his last 10 regular season games he failed to make a three, during this time he averaged 2.2 makes on 40.7% efficiency. Although his percentages were down against the Bucks he still managed to clear this number in 3 of the 4 meetings averaging exactly 2 makes per game. Haliburton getting assists and Turner knocking down threes goes hand in hand, so let’s back Turner to do well here.
