The Indiana Pacers (24-26 SU, 27-22-1 ATS) and Milwaukee Bucks (31-17, 25-20-3) collide at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday with the hosts looking to turn things around after winning just one of their last nine games. On the other end of the court, the Bucks are 4-1 in their last five outings.
The Bucks opened as the 7.5-point favorite on the road with the total set at 236 points. Milwaukee has dominated this matchup, winning nine straight games vs Indiana, while the UNDER is 6-1 in the last seven meetings between the two teams.
Latest Betting Notes: Bucks
The Bucks picked up their second straight win on Wednesday, defeating the Denver Nuggets 107-99. Giannis Antetokounmpo had another big night with 33 points and 14 rebounds for a double-double while Jrue Holiday (20 points) and Pat Connaughton (19 points, 12 rebounds) also came up big for Milwaukee.
Antetokounmpo has been back in the lineup for just two games since missing five straight with a knee injury but is still dealing with some soreness that has him listed as probable for Friday’s matchup.
Luckily for Milwaukee, Holiday has been hot of late, averaging 27.2 points per game over his last five appearances, including two performances with 35-plus points.
Latest Betting Notes: Pacers
The Pacers snapped a seven-game losing skid on Tuesday but took another loss in their last outing as they fell 126-120 to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. Bennedict Mathurin (26 points), Myles Turner (22 points, 13 rebounds) and Buddy Hield (21 points) each had 20-plus for Indiana but the Pacers came up just short.
Defense has been a sore spot for the Pacers this season and that trend has continued of late with Indiana allowing 122.4 points per game over its last nine contests.
Mathurin has been one of the few bright spots for the Pacers since the calendar flipped to 2023. The rookie has led the team in scoring in four straight outings and his 18.8 points per game in January ranks second, just behind Turner (19.4).
The Keys to Victory: Bucks
Assuming Antetokounmpo is good to go, the Bucks come into this matchup in pretty good shape, with Bobby Portis (knee) being their only key piece missing from the lineup.
While Antetokounmpo has slowed down a bit in January, averaging just 26.4 points per game, we saw Holiday flex his offensive muscles a bit more when the Greek Freak was sidelined. If Holiday can continue to score with Antetokounmpo back in the lineup, the Bucks should cruise to victory over the struggling Pacers.
The Keys to Victory: Pacers
The Pacers go into Friday’s matchup pretty beat up as Tyrese Haliburton (knee) remains out while Turner (ankle), Aaron Nesmith (wrist) and Andrew Nembhard (illness) are all listed as questionable. With four starters potentially out, that certainly doesn’t bode well for the Pacers, who have already been struggling when healthy.
That said, if Indiana is going to pull off the upset, we’ll likely need to see some big performances from Mathurin and Hield as well as a much better effort on the defensive end. It’s going to be tough but a gutsy defensive performance is likely Indiana’s best chance at keeping this one close.
