Germantas Kneita
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The Indiana Pacers controlled the regular-season series against the Milwaukee Bucks, winning 4 of the 5 games. But these are the NBA playoffs. Games tend to slow down and defensive efforts intensify. It will be interesting to see how the Pacers run-and-gun style of play will translate. They will be starting play on the road, where they are barely above .500 on the season. Their opponents finished the season 31-11 at home and do not lack experience at this stage of the season.
You can check out all of our NBA picks for today’s games, but for now let’s jump into my Pacers vs Bucks Same Game Parlay.
Khris Middleton Over 6.5 assists (+126)
Pascal Siakam Over 3.5 assists (+130)
Damian Lillard Over 3.5 made threes (+102)
Parlay odds: +765
Khris Middleton over 6.5 assists (+126)
With Giannis Antetokounmpo set to miss some time, it will be up to the other Bucks to keep them competitive until the former MVP returns. A lot of that responsibility will fall to Khris Middleton. The Pacers should be a good matchup for him, as they lack size at shooting guard and small forward in their starting lineup. With more of the ball in his hands, I expect him to put up good assist numbers here, especially if he can see over the defense. Having him as the playmaker will also help utilize Damian Lillard as a shooter of the ball. These teams also ranked 2nd and 8th in pace this season, so there will be no shortage of possessions. Middleton recorded at least 6 assists in 10 of his last 12 games. With the pace of the game and added responsibility, I expect him to hit 7.
Pascal Siakam over 3.5 assists (+130)
Pascal Siakam is someone that thrives when attacking the rim, but he should encounter plenty of resistance on the inside against the Bucks. Brook Lopez has averaged 3.4 blocks per game against the Pacers this season, which should encourage the Pacers’ forward to kick the ball out more often. He has enjoyed passing the ball against the Bucks this season too, averaging 6 assists per game against them. With the Pacers being in the top 10 in the league in 3-point percentage, his teammates should be well positioned to convert the chances that he creates. Siakam also averaged 4.3 assists per game this season. He will see no shortage of minutes here and should be able to get to his averages.
Damian Lillard over 3.5 made threes (+102)
The Bucks will need a big performance from Lillard to keep them in this without Antetokounmpo. Luckily for them, this seems to be the time of year that he comes alive. This season Lillard knocked down 3 shots per game on 35.8% shooting. He will see his usage jump in this one without Antetokounmpo. He averaged 8.5 attempts from beyond the arc per game but should push past double digits here. Especially with the extra possessions the pace creates. There is also a deterrent in the paint in Myles Turner that will make the prospect of driving to the paint less appealing. It’s time for Lillard to show the Bucks why they traded for him.
