Andrew Ortenberg
Show Bio
The Milwaukee Bucks will look to get some playoff revenge here after the Miami Heat embarrassed them in the bubble, knocking them out in the second round. It doesn’t look like Jimmy Butler is going to play here, but there’s still plenty entertaining about this game.
What better way to celebrate this nationally televised showdown between two Eastern Conference heavyweights than by betting a same game parlay? We’ve also got thoughts on the side and total, which you can find out in our full game preview. If you’re new to same game parlays and want to find out more, be sure to check out our handy guide, which details how they work and which sportsbooks currently offer them.
Milwaukee Bucks alternate spread -9.5 (+164)
Giannis Antetokounmpo over 28.5 points (-110)
Bam Adebayo over 19.5 points (-110)
Milwaukee Bucks first quarter money line (-160)
Parlay odds: +1225
The benefit of same game parlays is that you can put together plays that correlate with each other. A few of these definitely do, and we get a big odds boost from throwing in the Adebayo over. Let’s break them down one by one.
Milwaukee Bucks alternate spread -9.5 (+164)
I think there’s a very good chance the Bucks win this game in a blowout. Milwaukee has surely had this game circled on their calendars ever since the schedule came out, and there’s no way we don’t see their best effort here. Butler was a large part of the reason Miami dominated that playoff series, and now it looks like he’s going to miss this one with an ankle injury. Milwaukee had by far the best point differential in the league last year, blowing out opponents left and right. The Heat haven’t looked particularly impressive so far, losing to the Magic in their opener before bouncing back against the Pelicans. Without their top dog out there, things could spiral quickly.
Giannis Antetokounmpo over 28.5 points (-110)
An angry Antetokounmpo is always a sight to behold, and he should come out on fire here. The reigning MVP is averaging 26 points through three games, but that’s including a 4/14 dud he had the other night. He’s going to bring his A-game against the team that humiliated him just a few months ago, and I think his usage rate is going to be off the charts here. When he’s running downhill he’s virtually impossible to stop, and the Heat will lack a little bit of their usual defensive fire without Butler on the floor.
Bam Adebayo over 19.5 points (-110)
We get a big odds boost by throwing this in, but I don’t think Adebayo having a big game goes too much against the Bucks winning this one easily. Without Butler out there Adebayo will get more looks, and he’s averaging 21 points through Miami’s first two games. He had 25 in the opener, and then still had 17 last game even though he only played 28 minutes due to the score being so lopsided. Assuming he gets his usual minutes here, I don’t think he’ll have much trouble eclipsing this total.
Milwaukee Bucks first quarter money line (-160)
If the Bucks are winning this one by 10+, it almost certainly means they got out to a hot start. Like I mentioned above I think they have an extra big chip on their shoulder for this one, which is usually conducive to coming out of the gates on fire. The fact that Milwaukee is coming off an ugly loss to the Knicks should only help ensure that they are extra sharp in the first quarter here.
Pickswise is the home of free NBA Picks and Predictions. Check out the latest NBA Prop Bets and NBA Parlays as well as NBA Best Bets from our NBA experts.
