Hawks Should Manage to Hang Around vs Bucks

Trae Young has a message for anyone still doubting the Atlanta Hawks’ run in the NBA playoffs – and he sent it with a sensational performance against favored Milwaukee. The Hawks (50-35 SU, 48-36-1 ATS) pulled out a 116-113 victory in a thrilling opener of the Eastern Conference final, putting the Bucks (54-30 SU, 38-46) behind the 8-ball early.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

The Bucks opened as 7.5-point favorites, but the line has since moved to -8 virtually across the board. The total of 226.5 has shrunk by a point in most spots, though you’ll find the odd 226 out there as well.

Atlanta News & Notes

The Hawks came in as 8-point underdogs Wednesday and left the arena with a huge victory, shifting home-court advantage in their favor as they look to reach their first NBA Finals since winning the title as the St. Louis Hawks in 1958. The Hawks overcame a terrible performance from beyond the arc thanks to 48 points from Young, who shot 13-for-21 from inside the arc.

He wasn’t the only Atlanta player to cause major damage to the Bucks from two-point range. John Collins emerged as a potential series X factor with a 23-point, 15-rebound performance in the opener. And while he struggled from deep (going 1-for-5), he shot 11-for-16 overall and the lone three-pointer came with 1:39 remaining and kick-started a 7-0 run that put Atlanta up for good.

Milwaukee News & Notes

The conversation about the Bucks’ chances of reaching the NBA championship series always seem to come back to whether they can make enough three-point shots. And if they can’t improve on their 8-for-36 performance in the opener, especially with the Hawks expected to atone for their own wretched showing from long range, Milwaukee will be watching the NBA Finals from home.

The Bucks would also benefit from more balance in their offensive attack, which saw forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and guard Jrue Holiday combine for 67 of the team’s 113 points in defeat. Antetokounmpo, Holiday and Khris Middleton took 73 of Milwaukee’s 102 shot attempts in Game 1, with Middleton (6-for-23 from the field, 0-for-9 from three-point territory) underachieving significantly.

Betting Pick: Hawks +8 (-110)

Atlanta has been a major pain in the Bucks’ plans for the past several years now, at least from an ATS standpoint – and while the Bucks have dominated the recent series SU, we don’t see them running away with Game 2.